LATSHAW APIARIES 

Semen Storage

Traditional syringe design forced inseminators to collect 8-10 microliters of semen, enough for one queen, and then inseminate one queen.  Once the inseminator finished the queen, it was time to collect another 8-10 microliters of semen.  As you can imagine, this was a time consuming process that increased the risk of contaminating the work area and the queens.

In the mid 1980's, Dr. John Harbo, of the USDA Honey Bee Lab in Baton Rouge, increased the efficiency of semen collection and storage by designing a syringe that allowed inseminators to collect 100 microliters of semen at a time, which could then be used to inseminate several queens, stored, or could be shipped to another inseminator in another state or country.  The logic behind Dr. Harbo's design consists of as series of tubes connected to a micrometer syringe.  The entire system works like a fluid filled hydraulic system.  By inserting a 100 microliter capillary tube in this hydraulic system, the inseminator is able to collect a large quantity of semen for immediate use, storage, or shipment.  Dr. Harbo's syringe design is controlled by a Gilmont micrometer syringe, however, in the photograph below I illustrate Dr. Harbo's design using a simplified syringe which I designed.  The concept is still the same.

The 100 microliter capillary tube is protected inside a glass barrel, which fits in the instrument.  Latex tubing is used to connect the capillary tube to the glass semen collection tip and the flexible tubing.  The entire system of tubing is filled with saline solution, so that the syringe is very responsive and accurate at delivering the proper amount of semen.

The collected semen can be stored in the capillary tube, which can be held at room temperature for days or even weeks if necessary.  To store the semen, draw the semen up into the capillary tube, removing the small amount in the glass tip.  Once the semen has been drawn into the capillary tube, disconnect the glass tip from the capillary tube at the latex connector.  The next step is to seal the ends of the capillary tube with petroleum jelly as shown in the picture below.  Simply use the syringe to draw the petroleum jelly into the open end of the capillary tube, without leaving any air between the semen and the jelly.  Disconnect the capillary tube and reconnect the sealed end to the tubing, so that the other end can be sealed with the petroleum jelly. 

Once both ends have been sealed, the filled capillary tube may be stored at room temperature in a dark place.  To use the tube of semen, simply connect the capillary to to the syringe, and expel the petroleum jelly from one end before attaching the glass tip.

Notice how both ends of the capillary tube are sealed without an airspace between the semen and the petroleum jelly.

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Last modified: 12/28/09

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