BeeConSel

A new article “Cutting corners: The impact of storage and DNA extraction on quality and quantity of DNA in honeybee (Apis mellifera) spermatheca” has been published. Our paper provides guidance on collecting, storing and transporting spermathecae from honeybee queens to properly preserve the spermatozoids, and on extracting DNA from the contents of the spermathecae.

Sampling and genotyping the contents of the spermathecae instead of the individual offspring saves time and allows us to answer questions about patriline composition immediately after mating. We focused on answering two questions: “What short-term storage conditions are best suited to preserve spermatozoids for subsequent successful DNA extraction and sequencing?” and “Which DNA extraction technique provides suitable results for further exploration of patriline composition and genotyping of the entire colony?”

This research is a stepping stone for future studies on whole honeybee colony genotyping and can promote the development of new technologies.

Read the article HERE.

On Saturday 25 February, the fourth scientific symposium of the Slovenian Professional Beekeepers Association (Strokovno Združenje Profesionalnih Čebelarjev) was held at the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia in Ljubljana. The symposium was named after the late Slovenian beekeeper Janko Pislak, the founder of professional beekeeping in Slovenia, who was a pioneer in many fields. The symposium attracted almost 200 beekeepers who filled the hall of the Slovenian Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry with its extremely interesting and current topics.

The morning session was opened by Dr Janez Prešern from the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, who spoke about selection programmes and results of the BeeConSel project.

The keynote speaker at this year’s Pislak Day was Randy Oliver, who spoke about the importance of precise and careful control of varroa, i.e. the number of mites in the hive, and about the use of oxalic acid and its application in the hive.