# Where to buy artificial insemination equipment



## beecrazy101

Looking to buy artificial insemination equipment before next year. I understand it is a good investment but would like to get all in when starting queen rearing. Where is a good place to start looking?


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## Rader Sidetrack

You don't necessarily have to _buy _II equipment. Here's a link that has info on making your own:

http://www.ultrabreezesuits.com/

A tip: _Search _will likely yield better result if you look for "Instrumental Insemination" rather than "Artificial Insemination", at least in reference to bees.


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## beecrazy101

I should also ask where to buy good books to learn how to distinguish DNA and how to recognize it? I am looking for a long term and I am very good at self teaching. If I have good literature I can sit down and read and do my own thing and learn. Any help would be appreciated. I am looking on the net and really not finding what I am looking for.


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## RAK

I believe Joe Latshaw sells instruments on his website.


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## AstroBee

Sue Cobey sells II equipment. Check out: www.honeybee.breeding.com


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## KQ6AR

Sue also teaches II classes in WA, & CA


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## beecrazy101

RAK said:


> I believe Joe Latshaw sells instruments on his website.


Yes I found his good price and a very nice compact instrument.


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## RayMarler

http://www.besamungsgeraet.de/__en/catalog-equipments/

You can get the Schley instrument here.


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## beecrazy101

Thanks for the replies. I found a few books that might be helpful. Look forward to next year to embark on my new ventures.


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## AramF

Just a consideration: Find someone in your area who already does it professionally and pay them to do it. The best hives have queens fertilized by multiple unrelated drones, whose offspring specialize in different hive activities. I guess in beehives as in business diversity really helps with survival.


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## Daniel Y

I found this vary quickly when searching for Instrumental Insemination equipment
http://latshawapiaries.com/index.php?page=latshaw-instrument
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/ii_equip.html
http://www.besamungsgeraet.de/__en/

There are more.

I saw a video last spring on the subject also so you might want to take a stroll through you tube.


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## sebashtionh

Rader Sidetrack said:


> You don't necessarily have to _buy _II equipment. Here's a link that has info on making your own:
> 
> http://www.ultrabreezesuits.com/
> 
> A tip: _Search _will likely yield better result if you look for "Instrumental Insemination" rather than "Artificial Insemination", at least in reference to bees.




is this information available still? the link isn't to instructions anymore.


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## Richard Cryberg

beecrazy101 said:


> I should also ask where to buy good books to learn how to distinguish DNA and how to recognize it? I am looking for a long term and I am very good at self teaching. If I have good literature I can sit down and read and do my own thing and learn. Any help would be appreciated. I am looking on the net and really not finding what I am looking for.


No idea what you are asking for when you say "how to distinguish DNA and how to recognize it." If your question is where can you learn genetics the best bet is go to a half priced books store and look for a college text book no more than five or six years old. If you can find one you can generally pick it up for no more than $15. But, if you have any hope of understanding it you need to have had a course in organic chemistry at bare minimum and some biochem added on would be big help. If your question is how do you isolate DNA I guess I do not know why in the world you would want to do that. You sure are no place close to having the skills to do sequencing or you would not have asked the question and that is the only reason to isolate DNA other than idle curiosity as to what it physically looks like. If you want to see what it physically looks like you can find directions on the web to isolate carrot or some other plant DNA. All you are going to see is a goo.


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## RayMarler

sebashtionh said:


> is this information available still? the link isn't to instructions anymore.


You will most likely find some very useful information at this link, which is an ongoing discussion thread on making instrumental insemination equipment...

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?263523-Instrumental-Insemination-Equipment


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## Daniel Y

beecrazy101 said:


> I should also ask where to buy good books to learn how to distinguish DNA and how to recognize it? I am looking for a long term and I am very good at self teaching. If I have good literature I can sit down and read and do my own thing and learn. Any help would be appreciated. I am looking on the net and really not finding what I am looking for.


Are you asking about what traits indicate what genes? Since that is about the first thing needed to actually breed. As far as I can tell beekeepers don't think that part is necessary and have not given it much if any attention. They also seem to think you can Breed with open mating.
Due to this I would suggest you start your search by placing your questions somewhere that they are actually doing some breeding.

One source of breeding that faces similar situations as Honey Bees do would be Seramas. In that case there is a lot of cross breeding with another breed that would not apply. But it is very much about increasing genetic diversity while breeding for specific traits.

as for Honey Bees. there are no other breeds to cross with. but there are genetic traits that can be crossed. Is there enough genetic diversity in the Honey Bee? personally I don't think so. Simply because every variety of genetic traits I have heard of have the same problems with mites. Those that do present resistance to mites also result in the death of a colony due to other reasons. basically death from mites via a different avenue. From what I see is we need the bee that mites don't want to infest. Bees that die to mites are not mite resistant. Bees that die due to attempts to rid themselves of mites are not mite resistant. Bees that spend time and energy dealing with mites rather than being otherwise productive are not mite resistant. bees that don't have mites are mite resistant, never had them never will. But that is only my opinion.


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## teplov

Here's another Equipment from eastern Europe 1) Poland. 2) Belarus. 3) Ukraine. 
http://http://aparatdoinseminacji.pl/
http://apisfera-m.ru/oborudovanie/instrumental-noe-osemenenie-pcheliny-h-matok-oborudovanie-obuchenie.html
http://http://apisfera-m.ru/oborudo...-pcheliny-h-matok-oborudovanie-obuchenie.html
http://www.travelbook.tv/playlist/stanok-instrumental%D1%8Cnogo-osemeneniya-matok-svoimi-rukami-stanok-io/PL-Vji6ieU_XmCMBo9VatQ84x97gbTR8e8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYC9j9UFlCY&t=197s
I have a friend who makes good hooks. http://nikolaevskaya.all.biz/semejnaya-paseka-dyadki-andreya-e66506#.WHfEKNKLSt9


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## kilocharlie

AstroBee said:


> Sue Cobey sells II equipment. Check out: www.honeybee.breeding.com


Her own website is www.honeybeeinsemination.com

Her preference is the Schley II device with the Harbo syringe system. You'd need a CO2 bottle, a regulator, a cool (LED) light, the I.I. stage with the hooks (that's the Schley II device), a syringe system, a binocular microscope in the 15X to 25X range, and her instructional DVD.

Beecrazy101 - Dr. Cobey will probably tell you that the first step is to build up your apiary to 50 to 150 colonies* minimum* or I.I. won't do you much good. You have to have numbers to make breeding work.

Personally, I take 3 to 5 years building it up, if you have not already. Start out buying good stock, getting my queen and drone rearing calendars synchronized and down to a memorized, solid routine that you can do blindfolded and adjust as things maybe go wrong, getting grafting, drone rearing, and making up nuc's down to a system that is working, have a queen bank and an incubator, and THEN worry about insemination instruments. You'll want to take her classes at U.C.Davis or at Washington State University and see all the I.I. equipment before buying.

In those classes, you will also have learned how to run a breeding program that works for your genetic goals. There are many different types of program designs. You need to know which to apply to a situation. This is partly covered in a book by Dr. Harry H. Laidlaw, Jr. and Dr. Robert Page, Jr. titled, Queen Rearing and Bee Breeding.

It will not hurt you to start attempting I.I. if money is no object, but there is a lot of reading and practicing to do before it will add up to viable I.I. queens that make tons of brood.

Most guys seem to take 3 years of queen rearing concerted effort before they are getting large, healthy queen cells ALMOST EVERY TRY. If you are already at that point, you should be OK.

It takes a while to learn to synchronize a drone rearing calendar with a queen raring calendar. Feeding pollen substitute patties often is one of the keys to drone rearing. Gotta monitor the mites in the drone colonies constantly, and knock the mites down often with something that does not contaminate the drones' sperm.

There are lessons to learn about making up mating nuc's and turning them into increaser nuc's. You also need a "good year" with enough rain at the right times to make it all happen - I've enjoyed 5 years of drought since I was diving in to it. It's hard to increase your apiary in a drought.

I don't mean to sound condescending - I, too joined Beesource in 2010. I hope your search leads you to a happy place and lots of awesome bees. I'm just pointing out some of the steps along the way to readiness for I.I. See you up at Davis!


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## Little boy blue

kilocharlie said:


> Her own website is www.honeybeeinsemination.com
> 
> Her preference is the Schley II device with the Harbo syringe system. You'd need a CO2 bottle, a regulator, a cool (LED) light, the I.I. stage with the hooks (that's the Schley II device), a syringe system, a binocular microscope in the 15X to 25X range, and her instructional DVD.
> 
> Beecrazy101 - Dr. Cobey will probably tell you that the first step is to build up your apiary to 50 to 150 colonies* minimum* or I.I. won't do you much good. You have to have numbers to make breeding work.
> 
> Personally, I take 3 to 5 years building it up, if you have not already. Start out buying good stock, getting my queen and drone rearing calendars synchronized and down to a memorized, solid routine that you can do blindfolded and adjust as things maybe go wrong, getting grafting, drone rearing, and making up nuc's down to a system that is working, have a queen bank and an incubator, and THEN worry about insemination instruments. You'll want to take her classes at U.C.Davis or at Washington State University and see all the I.I. equipment before buying.
> 
> In those classes, you will also have learned how to run a breeding program that works for your genetic goals. There are many different types of program designs. You need to know which to apply to a situation. This is partly covered in a book by Dr. Harry H. Laidlaw, Jr. and Dr. Robert Page, Jr. titled, Queen Rearing and Bee Breeding.
> 
> It will not hurt you to start attempting I.I. if money is no object, but there is a lot of reading and practicing to do before it will add up to viable I.I. queens that make tons of brood.
> 
> Most guys seem to take 3 years of queen rearing concerted effort before they are getting large, healthy queen cells ALMOST EVERY TRY. If you are already at that point, you should be OK.
> 
> It takes a while to learn to synchronize a drone rearing calendar with a queen raring calendar. Feeding pollen substitute patties often is one of the keys to drone rearing. Gotta monitor the mites in the drone colonies constantly, and knock the mites down often with something that does not contaminate the drones' sperm.
> 
> There are lessons to learn about making up mating nuc's and turning them into increaser nuc's. You also need a "good year" with enough rain at the right times to make it all happen - I've enjoyed 5 years of drought since I was diving in to it. It's hard to increase your apiary in a drought.
> 
> I don't mean to sound condescending - I, too joined Beesource in 2010. I hope your search leads you to a happy place and lots of awesome bees. I'm just pointing out some of the steps along the way to readiness for I.I. See you up at Davis!


Now that I have taken and almost mastered the building of my own equipment, this is what I will have to do next, getting stuck in at the doing side of things and hopefully the parsimoniousness of nature is kind in giving me the better weather windows in order of functioning.
This is where minds of men can also gel to make things happen to share their dint so others journies are aided and smoothened of any pitfalls.

Are there many groups in your area who come together to use their live stock to getting certain desired strains.

Any biologists amongst them with the path lab equipment at hand?


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## kilocharlie

Well, it is hard to say. Many of the old guard professors up at U.C. Davis (15 minutes West of Sacramento, California) have retired. I am sure there is plenty of equipment at the bee lab 2 miles East of campus, and still plenty of hands who know the I.I. routine up there, and at Washington State University, not to mention Ohio State University, North Carolina State University, and a host of others on this side of the pond.

As to groups, the only one I know of on-line is Adam Finkelstein's I.I. site. Actually running around identifying traits? I don't know about that, other than it need to start happening soon.


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## Sunday Farmer

Little boy blue said:


> Now that I have taken and almost mastered the building of my own equipment, this is what I will have to do next, getting stuck in at the doing side of things and hopefully the parsimoniousness of nature is kind in giving me the better weather windows in order of functioning.
> This is where minds of men can also gel to make things happen to share their dint so others journies are aided and smoothened of any pitfalls.
> 
> Are there many groups in your area who come together to use their live stock to getting certain desired strains.
> 
> Any biologists amongst them with the path lab equipment at hand?


LBB-

Yea man. I've been working for the best beekeeper and running my own stuff. I've wanted to do I.i. For years but now that I am learning it this year I feel that maintaining the colonies, timón g cells and virgins and drones will be the very easy part. Because of thousands of hours of repitition being in bee yards. I'm all into self learning, but I am going down to Adam to learn with him and his wife, and then if possible double up and take the Purdue class in August. The goal is to have this as a skill and tool in my repertoire. 
Zac


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## Little boy blue

Sunday Farmer said:


> LBB-
> 
> Yea man. I've been working for the best beekeeper and running my own stuff. I've wanted to do I.i. For years but now that I am learning it this year I feel that maintaining the colonies, timón g cells and virgins and drones will be the very easy part. Because of thousands of hours of repitition being in bee yards. I'm all into self learning, but I am going down to Adam to learn with him and his wife, and then if possible double up and take the Purdue class in August. The goal is to have this as a skill and tool in my repertoire.
> Zac


The skills is the key factor which we can all keep for life and also pass on for future beeks, this is what JFK mentioned in one of his speeches, it's our duty he said.


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## Little boy blue

A very first attempt at spindles by hand, not easy, I used a naked flame from my Prince USA burner and held it in the flame, boy does it melt real fast so I backed off the flame a little.
I managed to get two models as to Cushman specs out of three lengths of tubeach, but I'm going down the drop forge route because if the heat is not applied evenly around the tube it wanders to one side as it melts.

I used a small piece of later rubber tube in the end of the main tube of the syringe and the spindle inside that.

The pump works a treat in practice.






20mb image hosting


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## Newbee116

AstroBee said:


> Sue Cobey sells II equipment. Check out: www.honeybee.breeding.com


Just an FYI, this site no longer exists.


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