Nepal gets first-ever artificially produced queen bee

Chitwan, July 13: The Beekeeping Development Programme at Bhandara in Chitwan has first time produced a queen bee through artificial insemination. ]

Five queen bees have been produced through this technology with the technical assistance of the beekeeping experts from the USA’s University of Florida, according to Programme Chief Sujan Amgai. The queen bee is the only fertile female in a honeybee colony, which is responsible for laying eggs in the beehives. The breeding of queen bees through artificial technology is aimed at improving the breed of bees, explained Amgai.

It is a mellifera species of bee. He informed that the queen bees were reared in collaboration with trained beekeeper Alice Maharjan and technicians from the Beekeeping Development Programme. The success in the production of queen bees was achieved after continuous efforts, he added. Although a honeybee was produced last fiscal year, it could not be saved.

Fortunately, this time, he shared happily that they were able to save all five queen bees. The queen bees produced through such artificial technologies are expected to boost the honey production in larger quantities than the naturally produced ones. Such queen bees are also known to possess a greater deal of immunity. However, more research into their life cycle is yet to be carried out.