25895 version 1
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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).
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
25895 version 1
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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
1.2
evidence is required for at least three advantages and three
disadvantages.
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.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
25895 version 1
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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 standards@primaryito.ac.nz if
you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016