Comparison of within-family and mass selection in honeybee populations

Computer simulation issued to show genetic progress after within-family and mass selection in closed populations of the honeybee (Apis mellifera). The model, which is based on empirical data on honeybee colonies in northern Germany, predicts similar selection results from both selection techniques. For selection of characters with low heritability, and for long-term breeding projects, within-family selection might be superior to mass selection. Optimal selection conditions are different for the two techniques depending on heritability, population size, and duration of selection. The optimal number of queens to select at each generation is larger with mass selection.