Hygienic Behavior of <i>Apis mellifera</i> and Its Relationship with <i>Varroa destructor</i> Infestation and Honey Production in the Central Highlands of Ecuador
The aim of this research was to analyze the relationship among hygienic behavior (HB), <i>Varroa destructor</i> infestation, and honey production in the central highlands of Ecuador. Overall, 75 honey bee colonies were evaluated before, during, and after production at three altitude leve...
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , , |
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| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
MDPI AG
2021
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/1969adcbad094eb6853fda4065aea446 |
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| Sumario: | The aim of this research was to analyze the relationship among hygienic behavior (HB), <i>Varroa destructor</i> infestation, and honey production in the central highlands of Ecuador. Overall, 75 honey bee colonies were evaluated before, during, and after production at three altitude levels (2600–2800, 2801–3000, and >3000 m.a.s.l.). The hygienic behavior percentage of the colonies was determined by the pin-killing method, and the colonies were classified into three groups: high HB (>85%), mid HB (60.1–85%), and low HB (≤60%). <i>Varroa</i> infestation was diagnosed as well, and honey production was evaluated only during production. HB was high and heterogeneous, averaging 80% ± 9.7%. Its highest expression was observed at lower altitudes. The infestation degree was low (3.47% ± 1.56%), although the mite was detected in all colonies upon sampling. A negative correlation was observed between HB and <i>Varroa</i> infestation in the first sampling (−0.49 **), suggesting that the high- and mid-altitude HB colonies underwent the lowest infestation rates, regardless of sampling. The correlations between HB and production were significant (0.26 *), indicating a positive effect of HB on production, meaning that colonies with high HB obtained the highest honey production (25.08 ± 4.82 kg/hive). The HB of bees showed an inverse relationship with altitude and it tended to reduce the effect of <i>Varroa</i> infestation, favoring honey production and, thus, suggesting the feasibility of selecting colonies with high HB. |
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