What Are Saskatraz Bees?

BEEKEEPERSTIPS.COM

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. 

1.Outbreeding

Yellow Leaf
Green Leaf
Wavy Line
Squiggly Line

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. 

2. Inbreeding

Off-white Section Separator
Yellow Leaf
Off-white Section Separator

What Are Saskatraz Bees and How Do They Avoid Inbreeding?

It is abundantly clear that the majority of bee stocks in North America are demonstrating symptoms of being inbred.

3.

Off-white Section Separator

Breeding Strategy

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. 

4.

Saskatchewan is a great place to produce honey. The area has cold winters and a short growing season. It is not an ideal queen-rearing region.

5. The California Connection

Off-white Section Separator
Yellow Leaf
Banner With Dots

ADVICE

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.

BEEKEEPERSTIPS.COM

Yellow Leaf

For more tips and articles, visit: