Artificially Inseminate Queen Honey Bees

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© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2012

Artificially inseminate queen honey bees

Level 5

Credits 4

Purpose People credited with this unit standard are able to: describe the advantages

and disadvantages of artificial insemination, and problems caused by anatomical features, of queen honey bees; rear sexually mature queen bees and drones and synchronise sexual maturity, sterilise the laboratory and equipment; catch drones and remove semen; and anaesthetise the queen honey bee with carbon dioxide (CO²) and inseminate, and maintain records; in accordance with industry standards.

Subfield Agriculture

Domain Apiculture

Status Registered

Status date 21 August 2009

Date version published 21 August 2009

Planned review date 31 December 2014

Entry information Open.

Accreditation Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA, industry and teaching professional in the same field from another provider.

Standard setting body (SSB) Primary Industry Training Organisation

Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference 0052

This AMAP can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do. Special notes 1 Industry standards are the standards and methods specified in the following texts: Laidlaw, Harry Hyde Instrumental insemination of honey bee queens (Hamilton,

Illinois: Dadant and Sons, 1977, p144). Woodward, David R Queen bee: biology, rearing and breeding (Balclutha, New

Zealand: Telford Rural Polytechnic, 2007, p137).



2 Assessment Evidence is required for insemination of at least two queen bees from at least two

queen mother hives. Elements and performance criteria Element 1 Describe the advantages and disadvantages of artificial insemination, and problems caused by anatomical features, of queen honey bees, in accordance with industry standards. Performance criteria 1.1 Artificial insemination of queen honey bees is described in terms of the

advantages and disadvantages.

Range evidence is required for at least three advantages and three disadvantages.

1.2 Queen honey bee anatomical features are described in terms of the problems

they can present when artificially inseminating.

Range evidence is required for at least two anatomical features which can cause problems when artificially inseminating.

Element 2 Rear sexually mature queen bees and drones, and synchronise sexual maturity, sterilise the laboratory and equipment, in accordance with industry standards. Performance criteria 2.1 Sexually mature virgin queen bees are reared from selected queen mother

breeder hives. 2.2 Sexually mature drones are reared from drone mother hives. 2.3 The sexual maturity of queen bees is synchronised with rearing and sexual

maturity of drones from drone mother hives. 2.4 The laboratory and equipment are sterilised and are prepared for insemination. Element 3 Catch drones and remove semen in accordance with industry standards. Performance criteria 3.1 Drones are removed from the brood and honey frames of drone mother hives,

transferred to catcher boxes and then into a flight cage and maintained at the optimum temperature to remain actively flying.



3.2 Drones are caught from the flight cage, and semen is removed into a syringe

without contaminating the semen. 3.3 The tip of the syringe containing semen is treated to prevent infection and

desiccation. Element 4 Anaesthetise the queen honey bee with carbon dioxide (CO²) and inseminate, and maintain records, in accordance with industry standards. Performance criteria 4.1 Queen honey bee is anaesthetised, and flow rate of CO² gas regulated during

insemination to maintain anaesthetic state. 4.2 Queen honey bee is inseminated with the required amount of semen and

marked according to year of insemination. 4.3 Queen honey bee is placed back into the original nucleus hive when recovered

from anaesthetic, then removed from the nucleus hive and re-gassed with CO² 24 hours before or after insemination.

4.4 The queen honey bee is placed back in the original nucleus hive when fully

recovered and monitored for egg laying. 4.5 Records are maintained. Please note Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment. Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards. Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards. Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements. Comments on this unit standard Please contact the Primary Industry Training Organisation [email protected] if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.

Documents

Artificially Inseminate Queen Honey Bees