A Washing Technique for Collection of Honeybee Semen

Abstract

SummaryA simple and fast method for collecting honeybee semen in large quantity is described. Semen and mucus of many drones, everted and ejaculated by hand, were scraped into Kiev diluent in a semen-washing funnel and a collecting tube. The semen-mucus-diluent mixture was centrifuged at 2500 rpm for 10 min to separate semen from mucus and the diluent. The collecting tube containing semen was incorporated into a special large-capacity syringe, and the semen was used to inseminate queen honeybees.No significant differences were found in the amount of brood produced between 31 queens instrumentally inseminated with semen collected by this method, queens inseminated with semen collected by the conventional Mackensen technique, and open-mated queens (P > 0·05 in all cases). However, significant differences were observed in the onset of oviposition (P < 0·05 in all cases). There was a delay before oviposition by all the instrumentally inseminated queens, which was greatest for queens inseminated with semen collected by the washing technique (P < 0·05). Effects of washing and centrifugation of semen are discussed.