Gold Queens
These breeder queens are bred from the top-ranking queens from the evaluation lines and inseminated with at least 20 drone sources from the same lines.
The drones are confined to ensure that all the maternal lines and paternal lines are guaranteed.
Silver Queens
These breeder queens are selected from the top-ranking queens from the evaluation lines. The main difference is that the drones used to provide semen are free flying. The selected drone colonies are kept together in one apiary and drone comb is added to each colony to ensure large numbers of the selected lines are present in that apiary.
The drones tend to mix among each colony and some foreign drones will also be present. Only drones exhibiting Italian characteristics (no dark or striped abdomens) will be used to provide material for the insemination. This will ensure that the Betta Bees lines will dominate.
The maternal lines are guaranteed. The paternal lines will be mainly Betta Bees.
Bronze Queens
These breeder queens are selected from the top queens from the evaluation programme but are naturally mated in an isolated area where Betta Bees drone colonies are present. They will be evaluated over at least a four-month period to ensure that the colony characteristics are satisfactory. The colonies produced from these breeder queens are more likely to exhibit some increased variation in colony characteristics due to the uncontrolled mating.
The maternal lines are guaranteed.