Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Animal Science Research Department, Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Sanandaj, Iran
Abstract
Hygiene behavior of honey bee has been considered as a potential trait associated with resistance to honey bee pests and diseases especially the Varroa destructor, and its expression in worker bees contributes to the social immunity of honey bee colonies. The ability of workers to detect and remove unhealthy or dead brood prevents the transmission of brood diseases inside the colony. Over the last five decades, this behavior has been extensively studied and improved in several research and breeding programs. Until the 1990s, there have been no major new insights on the efficiency of this behavior against American foulbrood and chalkbrood. In the last two decades, extensive studies have been conducted on the hygienic behavior of bees against the Varroa destructor, fueling the debate regarding the efficiency of hygienic behavior against this parasite. Breeding programs have shown that selection for one particular trait might also affect other traits. Thus, we also review the cost of trade-offs between hygienic behavior and other economically important traits for bee breeders. Generally, the benefits of hygienic behavior seem to largely outweigh its costs for both colonies and bee breeders.
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