Stochastic simulation studies for honeybee breeding

The stochastic simulation program BeeSim was developed to evaluate new breeding strategies for the honeybee. It allows to illustrate the genetic development of breeding populations based on individual queens, worker groups, and drones. In three consecutive studies, the program was applied to demonstrate the influences of different genetic models, to investigate the influence of mating control on honeybee breeding, and to derive selection strategies that are both successful and sustainable. We found that the application of the infinitesimal model in comparison with finite locus models yielded overly optimistic prognoses regarding the maintenance of genetic variance. Therefore it should only be used for short-term studies. Furthermore, we found that controlled mating is crucial for successful breeding, since free mating reduces the breeding success by up to 99%. Finally, we derived optimal selection intensities for sustainable breeding. Depending on the population size, honeybees should be bred in sister groups of three to seven queens and a broad supply of mating stations should be guaranteed. These three studies give an insight into the manifold ways in which honeybee breeding can benefit from stochastic simulations.