Much abuzz on Otago queen bee breeding farm
Maggie James visited the 1500ha Otago farm of Invermay Agricultural Research Centre, the home of Betta Bees. There she talks through the queen breeding business with hands-on owners Frans Laas and Rob Waddell, including their procedures for delicate instrumental insemination (II*).
Betta Bees is potentially the country’s most advanced queen bee breeding programme, due to its focus on II queens to assist genetic improvement.
Before visiting this writer understood that Frans had retired, but he quips “I am trying very hard to retire out of the business which we are building up”.
“For six years prior to obtaining the business, operations had scaled down, and at this stage it is not lucrative enough to employ someone. At present, with the industry as it is, this is a bit hard. We do have a successor plan problem, and are putting out feelers for individuals who would be highly interested and motivated to train in honey bee breeding.”
He and Waddell took on ownership of Betta Bee Research Ltd in December 2022, with the pair both having worked as contractors for a few years for the beekeeper-shareholder owned operation which was established in 2004.
Waddell adds, “We seek someone already active in the commercial sector looking after 40 plus hives, with competency in general beekeeping operations and with an understanding of seasonal requirements. They must have a real interest in the honey bee.”
As for their bees, “our primary focus is breeding for gentleness and honey production, and we are aiming for varroa resistance in New Zealand,” Frans explains.
“We also need an isolated mating area for Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) queens. This is critical and we intend this to be not too far down the track.”
The skill set of the ownership duo includes Frans employment at Invermay Agricultural Research Station 1978 to 1984 at which time he was made redundant due to government restructuring. Soon after he acquired a couple of hives, and when hobbyist-beekeeper Laas required a queen he contacted Neil Walker of Millburn Apiaries. He worked for him for two years.
Rob Waddell undertakes another II run of queen bees. Generally 36 queens can be inseminated in an hour. Photo: SuppliedThen over a six-year period Frans, who had previously studied at Otago University, returned to complete a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Zoology, followed by a post graduate Diploma in Wildlife Management, then a Master of Science (MSc) in Wildlife Management.
For eight years Waddell, a registered nurse, has worked as a beekeeper and has now taken on undergraduate studies in genetics at Otago University.
Betta Bees’ road to genetic improvement has been a long one, having begun with a collection of contributing beekeepers’ best stock in 2004. By 2010 temperament of the stock was said to be much improved and now every one to two years new genetics from reputable beekeepers are introduced.
Chasing VSH
Betta Bees have a focus on the VSH trait which, through good documentation and practises, they are attempting to breed into their bee populations. The duo are avid followers of the Harbo technique, with major interest on a tiny facet of American entomologist Dr John Harbo’s research. Amazingly with attention on this small aspect there is much of the prior knowledge obtained on varroa control that is not needed.
“Our aim is to reduce mite growth rate in the hive, thereby reducing the use of chemicals,” Waddell says.
According to Harbo, worker daughters, aged over one week old, of VSH queens with uncapping behaviour can detect via smell the presence of infested productive varroa. They start removing or cannibalising the soft infected larvae in worker brood three to four days prior to emergence (the pink eye stage). In short, worker bees with the VSH trait break the reproductive cycle of varroa at only one place.
VSH bees do not disturb a varroa infested cell if the mite is not producing progeny. Harbo states in a colony 5-15% of varroa infested cells are occupied by non-reproductive mites. VSH is not a line of bee, nor a breed, it is a trait which, with careful documentation and observant beekeeping practises, can be bred into honey bee populations to produce varroa resistance.
Betta Bees are collaborating with other beekeeping entities using the Harbo method for evaluation and selection of VSH stock. There is also co-operation with the national honey bee genetic improvements Future Bees Project, University of Otago. In spring the project will give assistance for contract laboratory analysis of the top 25 VSH Betta Bees colonies.
It Starts with the Virgin Queens
At the time of this interview virgin queens are emerging into modified Nicot hair roller cages. On their emergence the cage is clicked into a JZBZ queen cage. Once the queen transits into the JZBZ a 2mm bung of queen candy is added to the cage neck, giving the virgin instant nutrition. On the base of the cage, the centre bar of the JZBZ had been snipped out, enabling attendant workers in the queen bank access to the captive virgin.
“Virgins are heaviest at day 10 in their cell and on day 12 at emergence they are already starting to progressively lose muscle mass,” Frans explains.
Betta Bees drone cage. Containing drone bees, prior to harvesting their semen, is an integral part of II procedure. Photo: SuppliedThe queen cells had been removed from their hive on the night of Day 10 and placed in a Midlands incubator. Humidity is created with a well wrung out wet rag. The duo find that this incubator does not delay virgin emergence.
The 25 virgins due to hatch from this graft are crucial and are transferred to virgin banks. Ten to 11 queens will be banked in each double brood box hive, with a Cloake board separating the mated laying queen in the bottom box. Generally, for every 100 virgins banked, 20 will not be successful.
The 25 virgins due to hatch from this graft are crucial and are transferred to virgin banks. Ten to 11 queens will be banked in each double brood box hive, with a Cloake board separating the mated laying queen in the bottom box. Generally, for every 100 virgins banked, 20 will not be successful.
Grafting, using textbook Cloake board method, and II are undertaken in a large purpose-altered solar powered shipping container. Amenities include hot water, ceiling LED lighting, CO₂ for anaesthetisation of virgin queens, plus a heat pump run at 25ºC to keep the drones active, then at 20ºC during insemination.
This grafting yard comes with an extra stress factor. Once the first drone frame is added to the brood box, the precise dates for all grafting and artificial inseminations are determined!
The Clock Starts
Forty-five days prior to the first graft, a drawn-out drone frame is added to the bottom brood box of evaluation hives for 10-12 days. Then it is transferred to the top brood box. The drones are now confined in the hive between a bottom and top queen excluder. The empty space in the bottom box is replaced with a frame of worker comb or foundation.
On the week of 17 February at least 120 virgins, five to six days old were to be inseminated. Sometimes virgins up to ten days old will be inseminated, but due to potential degradation this is the maximum age.
The Cavalry Arrives and II Runs Begin
For the past three years a band of four skilled and unselfish beekeepers descend on the yard for three to four days. This is the field and record team comprising queen rearers Frances Trewby (Southland) and Jacob Adams (Adams Gold, Canterbury), plus Otago hobbyists Jane Dawber and Geoff Gray. Payment is a cup of coffee at the end of the day!
On the day prior, or on the morning of, II drones are collected and placed in a Betta Bees drone cage box. This is a cut down plastic queen excluder with a wooden frame creating depth.
Drones are captured from the top brood box of the drone source hives before 11am (flight time). A long, tall line of Pinus radiata slightly north of the apiary provides shade until 10.30am. Drone collection starts at 8.15am, with two hours of shade provided by the trees for the task.
Each box holds 50-100 drones which will supply 25-35 micro litres of semen per box. Each queen will receive 10mcl of homogenised semen.
By joining JZBZ and Nicot hair-roller queen cages, virgin queens can be contained upon hatching. Photo: SuppliedOnce the drones are harvested from the top box, the drone frame is shaken and put in the bottom brood box of another hive. This frame transfer is recorded. The drone frame gap in the top box is now replaced with two or three drone cages. The upper excluder is removed, and these cages are pulled out of the hive as required for II, and the drone mother is recorded.
The drone cages are relayed by the team to the two beekeepers in the container undertaking II. This continues for a period of five to seven hours, with 36 queens generally inseminated per hour.
Twenty-four hours prior and on the day during insemination virgin queens are administered C02 at low flow for five minutes to anaesthetise them prior to II, after which they are returned to their cage with a plug of candy.
A major issue for the Betta Bees operation is rogue queen cells, previously raised virgins, and at times unknown mated rogue queens in these nucs. Therefore, the team of volunteers “derouge” the 120 nucs prior to installation of the new II queen and, at the same time, the team check that each nuc is healthy and has sufficient stores, brood and bees.
Adding to the eight frames in the nuc, the field team introduce the inseminated queen and varroa treatment with four strips of Bayvarol (as per manufacturer’s instructions) between brood frames, plus a double size frame feeder containing 2:1 syrup.
The mammoth task requiring much precision by the unsung volunteer heroes is now complete!
On release by the workers the II queen is laying within three days. If a queen is not laying within five days it is no good, is transferred out of the evaluation yard. Otherwise, to increase their chance of success the newly inseminated queens are left undisturbed for 28 days, before their next evaluation.
After overwintering in the yard, these inseminated queens will be evaluated in spring, and some will be available for sale August/early September. Currently there are silver queens available for late August at $1000+GST each. There will be gold queens available January 2026. The three categories of Betta Bees laying queens are detailed on their website.
It’s a detailed process and proves what all beekeepers know – genetic improvement in honey bees is no simple task.
*II = instrumental instrumentation, previously known as AI (artificial insemination). The term was changed so as not to be confused with artificial intelligence.
More information regarding Betta Bees can be obtained by emailing Frans Laas, frans@bettabees.nz
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