Chitwan, July 14: The Beekeeping Development Programme based in Bhandara, Chitwan has, for the first time, successfully produced queen bees through artificial insemination.
According to Programme Chief Sujan Amgai, five queen bees of the Apis mellifera species were produced with technical support from beekeeping experts at the University of Florida, USA.
The queen bee is the only fertile female in a honeybee colony and is responsible for laying eggs. The use of artificial insemination technology aims to improve the genetic quality and productivity of bee colonies, Amgai explained.
The queen bees were reared in collaboration with trained beekeeper Alice Maharjan and technicians from the Beekeeping Development Programme. Amgai said the achievement was the result of continuous effort and research.
Although a queen bee was produced last fiscal year, it could not be preserved. “This time, we are happy to report that all five queen bees have been successfully reared,” he added.
Queen bees produced through artificial insemination are expected to significantly enhance honey production compared to naturally bred queens. They are also believed to have stronger immunity, although further research into their life cycle is still required. #nepal #bee
