In this episode of Beekeeping Today, Jeff Ott and Becky Masterman continue the Queen Series with Dr. Jack Rath, founder of Betterbee, veterinarian, beekeeper, and queen breeder. The conversation focuses on instrumental insemination of honey bee queens, a highly technical process used to support selective breeding and maintain valuable honey bee genetics.
Jack explains how he moved from beekeeping as a high school student to veterinary medicine, queen rearing, and eventually instrumental insemination. Drawing on his experience with reproductive work in cattle and horses, he describes both the similarities and major differences between livestock breeding and honey bee breeding.
The discussion explores why instrumentally inseminated queens are usually considered breeder queens, how queen breeders select for traits such as Varroa resistance, gentleness, honey production, and overwintering ability, and why drone selection is just as important as queen selection.
Jack also walks through the timing required to produce virgin queens, collect drones, harvest semen, inseminate queens, and provide proper aftercare. He explains why the process requires careful colony management, strong organizational skills, good timing, and a steady hand.
The episode also touches on the importance of genetic diversity, the limits of selecting for a single trait, and why queen breeders must balance desirable characteristics without narrowing their breeding stock too far.
Whether you are a backyard beekeeper curious about where queens come from or an experienced beekeeper interested in breeding programs, this conversation offers a clear, practical look at one of the most specialized skills in modern beekeeping.
Websites from the episode and others we recommend:
Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org Project Apis m. (PAm): https://www.projectapism.org The National Honey Board: https://honey.com Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com
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Betterbee is the presenting sponsor of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Betterbee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com
This episode is brought to you by Global Patties! Global offers a variety of standard and custom patties. Visit them today at http://globalpatties.com and let them know you appreciate them sponsoring this episode!
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Thanks to Strong Microbials for their support of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Find out more about their line of probiotics in our Season 3, Episode 12 episode and from their website: https://www.strongmicrobials.com
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We’d like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controlling Varroa—from Apistan and Apiguard to the new VarroxSan extended-release oxalic acid strips—helping beekeepers keep stronger, healthier colonies.
Thanks for Northern Bee Books for their support. Northern Bee Books is the publisher of bee books available worldwide from their website or from Amazon and bookstores everywhere. They are also the publishers of The Beekeepers Quarterly and Natural Bee Husbandry.
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Podcast music: Be Strong by Young Presidents; Epilogue by...
