Genetics of the honey bee - Some Basic Principles for Beekeepers
Since the discovery of the structure of DNA by
Crick and Watson in 1957 the study of genetics has been explosive. The honey bee has become a no.1 target the results of which are oft quoted in beekeeping lectures. Some of the terminology I am sure is lost on the audience. The pages below set out to offer a beginner’s guide to honey bee genetics.
My working background was as a teacher and lecturer in chemistry so there is a somewhat bias towards the chemistry when it comes to simplifying honey bee genetics.
Diagrams have been used extensively to illustrate many of the ideas which in themselves are intrinsically difficult. Most of the illustrations are of my own design, but I have used certain ones from the internet some of which have been adapted. This has been acknowledged.
In the following pages (shown also in the drop-down menu above) some aspects of the genetics of the honey bee are explored.
The topic is divided into 3 Sections.