D3184: The study of how genetic backgrounds affect the queen honeybee's egg laying behavior

Understanding the reproductive dynamics of honey bee populations is essential for conserving pollinators and their biodiversity. Fecundity, or the egg-laying capacity of the queen honey bee(Apis mellifera), is a critical factor that influences the population growth and sustainability of a bee colony. The habitat in which bees live can significantly impact their reproductive success. Factors such as the availability of food resources, climate conditions, and the presence of predators or diseases can all influence fecundity. However, genetic differences between bee lines may also play a crucial role. It is still unknown whether the genetic background of different bee lines will affect the fecundity of queens. This research aims to detect the variations in queen’s fecundity or egg-laying capacities when subjected to the same environmental conditions. This study will focus on three key questions. 1) Do different genetic lines of bees show significant differences in their egg-laying capacities? 2) How do environmental conditions within the same habitat influence the fecundity of these different bee lines? 3) What implications do these findings have for bee breeding programs and conservation efforts? three bee lines of Russian queen, feral queens, and commercial queens from package bees. We aim to uncover patterns that can inform both scientific inquiry and practical applications in bee conservation and beekeeping management.