# Genetics for Dummies



## julieandwadeshelton (Oct 10, 2014)

Howdy!

Can anyone direct me to any links, videos, resources that help to understand bee genetics on a moderate level without getting too deep into the water? It seems complex, or maybe it's not and the big words scare me 
Thanks!

-Julie


----------



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

It has been a good few years since I've read them, but, Larry Conner has three books out that may help you for an introduction...

Bee Sex Essentials
Queen Rearing Essentials
Increase Essentials

I see a 4th is out now that may be good also...

Mating Biology of Honey Bees


All 4, as well as many other books of great information, can be found at:

http://www.wicwas.com/books


----------



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Another place to look at is Glenn Apiaries web page, under the genetics tab...

http://www.glenn-apiaries.com/genetics.html


----------



## Nordak (Jun 17, 2016)

In regard to Dr. Connor, I found this video pretty fascinating, especially in regard to how DCAs (drone congregation areas) work.

https://youtu.be/9_iFNV5Y-mw


----------



## Duncan151 (Aug 3, 2013)

Try this, it might help keep it simple. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...A6594C51354778DDE770A6594C51354778D&FORM=VIRE


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

https://beeuntoothers.com/index.php/bees/video-audio/26-where-do-bees-come-from
corrected slides:
https://beeuntoothers.com/WhereDoBeesComeFromFinal.pdf


----------



## Stephenpbird (May 22, 2011)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2sjccgWZcY 

is well worth watching.


----------



## Stephenpbird (May 22, 2011)

RayMarler said:


> I see a 4th is out now that may be good also...
> 
> Mating Biology of Honey Bees


I think its very good.


----------



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

There are some excellent links in this thread now, thanks to you all.
I'm bookmarking this one.


----------



## kilocharlie (Dec 27, 2010)

Introducing Genetics by Steve Jones and Borin Van Loon
Not specific to bees, this is a good beginner / background book to get your basic vocabulary up to speed. Cartoon style, fun to read, given in historical order, it's a great resource book to start the study of genetics.

Elemental Genetics for Breeding the Honeybee by Dr. Ernesto Guzman-Novoa.

Queen Rearing and Bee Breeding by Dr. Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. and Dr. Robert E. Page Jr. Written for the geneticist who knows little about beekeeping and for the beekeeper who knows little about genetics. Goes into it a bit deeper than most, perhaps the best book out there.

+1 for the Glenn's website, www.glenn-apiaries.com (don't forget the dash) Spend some time on it and read the whole thing, print it out. It's a good one.

So the genetics part that is specifically about bees includes that the females are made of a fertilized egg and are therefore diploid (have 2 sets of chromosomes - 32 total) while the drones are made from an unfertilized egg and are haploid (have 1 set of chromosomes - 16 total). 

Females have 2 "castes" - queens and workers. The difference is the food they are given when they are in larval stage of development. Queens get higher levels of protein and sugar in the form of royal jelly, and are give copious amounts of it. Workers get far less and lower grade food.

Since the queen mother may mate with many drones, there are several types of relations between bees in the hive. Females with different fathers are 1/2 sisters. Females with the same father are "super sisters" and are 3/4 related. 

Drones are 1/2 copies of their mother, but are not necessarily identical to each other - which 1/2 of the genes do they get? It's a shake from the mixing bowl. Yet all the sperm in any one drone is identical (barring mutation) to the others in him- he has no daddy, and therefore only one set of genes and no mitosis.

Another thing to look up is called thelytoky, a form of parthenogenic reproduction where an unfertilized egg produces a female. Some bees do express this ability, especially the South African Cape bee, _apis mellifera capensis_, but to a much lesser degree the European strains of honeybees express it occasionally. Don't worry too much about thelytoky - it's rare and you most likely won't be dealing with it. If you do find it in your bees, smile and breed from that queen! - it is a great survival tool for the bees.


----------



## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

kilocharlie said:


> Queen Rearing and Bee Breeding by Dr. Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. and Dr. Robert E. Page Jr. Written for the geneticist who knows little about beekeeping and for the beekeeper who knows little about genetics. Goes into it a bit deeper than most, perhaps the best book out there.



:thumbsup:


----------



## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

Bee Genetics and Breeding by Thomas E Rinderer is also a good read and a bit more up to date than most of the others recommended.


----------



## kilocharlie (Dec 27, 2010)

Do you have a link to buy Dr. Rinderer's book, FP?


----------



## Stephenpbird (May 22, 2011)

I have one for Europe, or specifically soon to be not in Europe 

http://www.northernbeebooks.co.uk/newbooks/rinderer-bee-genetics-and-breeding-2010/


----------



## kilocharlie (Dec 27, 2010)

Big thank you, Stephen!


----------



## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

Almost any book you want can be found on either Amazon or Ebay. Amazon should buy Ebay and rename itself Ambay.


----------

