When selecting traits we are looking for genetics to help us solve problems. Let us identify and rank the top 4 problems for Northern NJ bees:

1. Cold & wet winters
2. Varroa mites
3. Cluster & brood area: proper control of size and strength
4. Low honey and pollen production / collection

Cold & Wet Winters

It has become common practice in the northeast to order bees from the south (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Kentucky). These areas do not have the same winter conditions as the northeast. Northern New Jersey has unique winter conditions.

• We have more than a dozen days of temperatures under 10 deg. F.
• Our winters last from Nov. 1st through March 25th.
  • No nectar is available during this period.
  • Winter nights are normally sub 32 deg. F.
• Our winters can have several days of warm 50 deg F. weather which seems to confuses some hives to think spring has arrived and the cluster breaks too early. Thus the hive freezes when the warm spell ends. A potential cause of freeze brood.
• Our winters are extremely wet. Nothing kills more during the winter than moisture inside the hive.
• Our hives need small but strong winter clusters and are different from the needs of almond pollinators, and thus most commercial beekeepers.

So the first trait selection goal is to improve genetics that enable hives to survive moist climate zones 4 and 5a.

Varroa Mites

The second trait selection goal is increasing hygienic behavior. Hives with hygienic behavior can survive and remove a mite infestation, wax moth infestation and hopefully eventually have resistance to CCD and IAPV.

Hygienic behavior within worker bees is two parts: recognizing there's a problem; then the acting out a solution. If a varroa mite has laid its egg next to a honey bee egg, the new bee would normally be born with a mite. A hygienic nurse bee would recognize the varroa egg infestation and clean out the cell. Hygienic hives also have superior ability to remove mites from their bodies. They can also recognize a mite on a bee near them and help that bee remove the mite. This assist a fellow bee represents the highest form of hygienic intelligence. I suspect it relates to the mothering traits of nurse bees.

The Cluster

The cluster of New Jersey kept bees needs to be small and strong. Young bees need to be reared in December to last the 14+ weeks of winter. However, the number needs to bee controlled. Large cluster populations will consume winter stores too quickly and may starve themselves. Clusters without young bees may die of old age before Spring rearing begins. This cluster need is different than commercial almond pollinators. They need large populations in early February. Queen suppliers of good almond pollinating bees, probably don't make good bees for beekeepers who don't travel.

Honey & Pollen Production

A beekeeper with bees that do not produce bumper honey will not do well and may eventually close up shop. Honey production is critical to feed the hive, have enough resources for to split. A top producing hive will have enough resources to make a split in the spring and a second in the fall. The fall's can then be next year's over wintered nucs.

Pollen collection is essential to a strong hive. Queen, brood food and wax production are dependent on a certain amount of protein in the worker bee's diet. Weak (new) hives must be supplemented until their harvesting population is large enough to sustain the hive. Pollen is not collected by the same workers who collect nectar. So selecting parent hives for high honey production does not help select better pollen collectors. Levels of both must be monitored during testing.

Secondary Selection

Besides these primary goals we can develop secondary traits. Traits that are desired, but not critical. A secondary trait may focus on increasing production while primary goals focus on increasing survival ability. The following is a list of qualities we will look for to make high production hives.

1. Gentle hives (Can be worked with faster and with less care)
2. Superior brood rearing (egg laying) queens.
3. Quick population build by April 1st. (Able to get early nectar)
4. Quick to reduce to winter population size by November 1st. (Controls winter honey consumption)
5. Average annual honey collection and comb building is greater than other hives in the same apiary.
6. Comb built is even and properly constructed
7. Queen and drone size and weight are above average. (Requires high protein diet)
8. Visible winter pollen stores in addition to honey.
9. Wax produced is generally lighter than other hives in the same apiary.
10. Low rate of swarming (we won't breed from hives that raise swarm queens)
11. Genetically diverse

 Additionally, we will seek to select hives that have physical attributes (like color) that best represent the breed.

Since propolis has shown to have high antibacterial & anti viral properties, and people often collect it for consumption, we will not select for hives that have limited propolis use.