diff --git a/forestry_bees/apiary.lua b/forestry_bees/apiary.lua
index 9b5869d..ea63930 100644
--- a/forestry_bees/apiary.lua
+++ b/forestry_bees/apiary.lua
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ local function apiary_node_timer(pos,elapsed)
 			src_time = src_time + el
       
       if can_live then --chance to drop honeycomb
-        local drops = forestry_bees.calculate_drop(monarchlist[1]:get_meta():get_string("active_gene"))
+        local drops = forestry_bees.calculate_drop(minetest.deserialize(monarchlist[1]:get_meta():get_string("genes"))["type_gene"][1])
         if (not (next(drops) == nil)) and inv:get_size("dst") - forestry_bees.stacks_in_inv(inv,"dst") >= #drops then
           for _,drop in pairs(drops) do
             inv:add_item("dst",drop)
diff --git a/forestry_bees/helper.lua b/forestry_bees/helper.lua
index 2b6e2ab..1889c05 100644
--- a/forestry_bees/helper.lua
+++ b/forestry_bees/helper.lua
@@ -1,7 +1,18 @@
-function forestry_bees.Bee(bee_type,active_gene,inactive_gene)
-    local itemstack = ItemStack({name = forestry_bees.bee_name(bee_type,active_gene)})
-    itemstack:get_meta():set_string("active_gene",active_gene)
-    itemstack:get_meta():set_string("inactive_gene",inactive_gene)
+--function forestry_bees.Bee(bee_type,active_type_gene,inactive_type_gene,active_fertility_gene,inactive_fertility_gene)
+    --local itemstack = ItemStack({name = forestry_bees.bee_name(bee_type,active_type_gene)})
+    --itemstack:get_meta():set_string("active_type_gene",active_type_gene)
+    --itemstack:get_meta():set_string("inactive_type_gene",inactive_type_gene)
+    --itemstack:get_meta():set_string("active_fertility_gene",active_fertility_gene)
+    --itemstack:get_meta():set_string("inactive_fertility_gene",inactive_fertility_gene)
+    --return itemstack
+--end
+
+function forestry_bees.Bee(bee_type,genes)
+    local itemstack = ItemStack({name = forestry_bees.bee_name(bee_type,genes["type_gene"][1])})  --the "1" is cuz the table genes["type_gene"] has 2 entries: active and inactive
+    itemstack:get_meta():set_string("genes", minetest.serialize(genes))
+    --for gene_type,gene in pairs(genes) do
+    --    itemstack:get_meta():set_string(gene_type,gene)
+    --end
     return itemstack
 end
 
@@ -16,8 +27,8 @@ function forestry_bees.calculate_drop(bee_type) --later we will take as input al
     return out_table
 end
 
-function forestry_bees.bee_name(bee_type,active_gene)
-    return "forestry_bees:"..active_gene.."_"..bee_type
+function forestry_bees.bee_name(bee_type,active_type_gene)
+    return "forestry_bees:"..active_type_gene.."_"..bee_type
 end
 
 function forestry_bees.stacks_in_inv(inv,listname)
@@ -32,18 +43,30 @@ function forestry_bees.stacks_in_inv(inv,listname)
 end
 
 function forestry_bees.breed_princess_drone(princess,drone)
-  local princess_meta = princess:get_meta()
-  local drone_meta = drone:get_meta()
-	local queen = forestry_bees.Bee("queen",
-                                  princess_meta:get_string("active_gene"),
-                                  princess_meta:get_string("inactive_gene"))
+  --local princess_meta = princess:get_meta()
+  local princess_genes = minetest.deserialize(princess:get_meta():get_string("genes")) --princess_meta["genes"]
+  --local drone_meta = drone:get_meta()
+  local drone_genes = minetest.deserialize(drone:get_meta():get_string("genes"))
+	local queen = forestry_bees.Bee("queen",princess_genes)
   local queen_meta = queen:get_meta()
-  queen_meta:set_string("drone_active_gene",drone_meta:get_string("active_gene"))
-  queen_meta:set_string("drone_inactive_gene",drone_meta:get_string("inactive_gene"))
+  queen_meta:set_string("drone_genes",minetest.serialize(drone_genes))
   return queen
 end
 
-local function final_gene(type1,type2)
+local function final_gene(gene1,gene2)
+  local output = {}
+	--randomly choose if the genes are 1,2 or 2,1
+	if math.random(2)==2 then
+		output[1] = gene1
+		output[2] = gene2
+	else
+		output[1] = gene2
+		output[2] = gene1	
+	end
+  return output
+end
+
+local function mutation(type1,type2)
 	local out_table1 = {}
 	local out_table2 = {}
 	--check every possible mutation to see if we may obtain it
@@ -59,16 +82,9 @@ local function final_gene(type1,type2)
 			end
 		end	
 	end
-	--if we got no mutations then the eligible out_types are the input_types
-	output = {}
-	--randomly choose if the genes are 1,2 or 2,1
-	if math.random(2)==2 then
-		output[1] = type1
-		output[2] = type2
-	else
-		output[1] = type2
-		output[2] = type1	
-	end
+
+	local output = final_gene(type1,type2)
+
 	if next(out_table1) then --if a mutation accurred in gene 1
 		output[1] = out_table1[math.random(#out_table1)]
 	end
@@ -80,21 +96,43 @@ local function final_gene(type1,type2)
 	return output
 end
 
+local function choose_genes(genes)
+    --from the table "genes" we for each entry randomly choose 1,2 and keep that gene
+    --returning a table
+    local output = {}
+    for key,gene_pair in pairs(genes) do
+        output[key] = gene_pair[math.random(2)]
+    end
+    return output
+end
+
+local function output_genes(mother_genes,father_genes)
+	local mother_chosen_genes = choose_genes(mother_genes)
+	local father_chosen_genes = choose_genes(father_genes)
+  local genes = {}
+  for key,_ in pairs(mother_chosen_genes) do
+    if key == "type_gene" then
+      genes[key] = mutation(mother_chosen_genes[key], father_chosen_genes[key])
+    else
+      genes[key] = final_gene(mother_chosen_genes[key], father_chosen_genes[key])
+    end
+  end
+  return genes
+end
+
 function forestry_bees.apiary_result(queen)
 	--given a queen calculates the correct princess + drone output
 	local meta = queen:get_meta()
-	local mother_genes = {meta:get_string("active_gene"),meta:get_string("inactive_gene")}
-	local father_genes = {meta:get_string("drone_active_gene"),meta:get_string("drone_inactive_gene")}
-	local mother_chosen_gene = mother_genes[math.random(#mother_genes)]
-	local father_chosen_gene = father_genes[math.random(#father_genes)]
-	local genes = final_gene(mother_chosen_gene, father_chosen_gene)
-	local princess = forestry_bees.Bee("princess", genes[1], genes[2])
+	local mother_genes = minetest.deserialize(meta:get_string("genes"))         
+	local father_genes = minetest.deserialize(meta:get_string("drone_genes"))   
+	local genes = output_genes(mother_genes,father_genes)
+	--local genes = final_gene(mother_chosen_gene, father_chosen_gene)
+	local princess = forestry_bees.Bee("princess", genes)
 	local dronelist = {}
-	for i=1,4 do --in future bees will have fertility and this number should change, so a little bit of futureproofing
-		mother_chosen_gene = mother_genes[math.random(#mother_genes)]
-		father_chosen_gene = father_genes[math.random(#father_genes)]
-		local genes = final_gene(mother_chosen_gene, father_chosen_gene)
-		local drone = forestry_bees.Bee("drone", genes[1], genes[2])
+  local fertility = mother_genes["fertility"][1]
+	for i=1,fertility do 
+		local genes = output_genes(mother_genes,father_genes)
+		local drone = forestry_bees.Bee("drone", genes)
 		table.insert(dronelist, drone)
 	end
 	return princess, dronelist
diff --git a/forestry_bees/register.lua b/forestry_bees/register.lua
index ca5ab0c..1cefd4d 100644
--- a/forestry_bees/register.lua
+++ b/forestry_bees/register.lua
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ end
 local function printbeestats(itemstack, user, pointed_thing) 
     local meta = itemstack:get_meta()
     local name = itemstack:get_name()
-    minetest.chat_send_player(user:get_player_name(), "Name:"..string.sub(string.match(name, ":.*"),2)..", Active:"..meta:get_string("active_gene")..", Inactive:"..meta:get_string("inactive_gene")) 
+    minetest.chat_send_player(user:get_player_name(), "Name:"..string.sub(string.match(name, ":.*"),2)..", Active:"..minetest.deserialize(meta:get_string("genes"))["type_gene"][1]..", Inactive:"..minetest.deserialize(meta:get_string("genes"))["type_gene"][2]) 
 end
 
 local function register_bee(name, color1, color2)
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ minetest.register_node("forestry_bees:forest_beehive", {
   drop = {
       max_items = 3,
       items = {
-          {tool_groups = {"scoop_tool"}, rarity = 2, items = {forestry_bees.Bee("princess","forest","forest")}},
-          {tool_groups = {"scoop_tool"}, rarity = 2, items = {forestry_bees.Bee("drone","forest","forest")}},
+          {tool_groups = {"scoop_tool"}, rarity = 2, items = {forestry_bees.Bee("princess", {type_gene = {"forest","forest"}, fertility = {2,2}})}},
+          {tool_groups = {"scoop_tool"}, rarity = 2, items = {forestry_bees.Bee("drone", {type_gene = {"forest","forest"}, fertility = {2,2}})}},
           {tool_groups = {"scoop_tool"}, rarity = 2, items = {"forestry_bees:honey_comb"}}
       }
   }
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ minetest.register_node("forestry_bees:meadow_beehive", {
   drop = {
       max_items = 3,
       items = {
-          {tool_groups = {"scoop_tool"}, rarity = 2, items = {forestry_bees.Bee("princess","meadow","meadow")}},
-          {tool_groups = {"scoop_tool"}, rarity = 2, items = {forestry_bees.Bee("drone","meadow","meadow")}},
+          {tool_groups = {"scoop_tool"}, rarity = 2, items = {forestry_bees.Bee("princess", {type_gene = {"meadow","meadow"}, fertility = {3,3}})}},
+          {tool_groups = {"scoop_tool"}, rarity = 2, items = {forestry_bees.Bee("drone", {type_gene = {"meadow","meadow"}, fertility = {3,3}})}},
           {tool_groups = {"scoop_tool"}, rarity = 2, items = {"forestry_bees:honey_comb"}}
       }
   }