What are Saskatraz bees? Saskatraz bees are a product of an initiative to breed a stable, disease-resistant highly productive bee derived from lines of bees in Saskatchewan.
In outbreeding, we try to incorporate maximum genetic diversity into a breed. Animals mix with the greatest range of genetic diversity they have. This is can be natural outbreeding.
Unlike outbreeding, with inbreeding, we take closely related individuals with traits we deem beneficial. We combine these and keep selecting for the traits we want.
The first step is to concentrate the diverse queens from various apiaries into open mated natural selection apiaries. Here mite and disease resistance is evaluated.
This is a hybrid bee that is outbred. It has been selected for gentleness, honey production, disease resistance, and overall health. Consequently, this is not an inexpensive bee.