Menos Asaad(1)*, Malek Oumran(2), Nouraldin daher hjaij(1), and Khalil moukayees(2)
(1). General Authority for Scientific Agricultural Research, Syria.
(2). Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tishreen, Lattakia, Syria
(*Corresponding author Menos asaad . E-Mail: menos.asaad@hotmail.com).
Received: 12/4/2024 Accepted: 1/8/2024
Abstract
This study was carried out at both the apiary and laboratory of Lattakia Scientific Agricultural Research Center during April and May of the year 2022 on 12 bee colonies with strength of 8 honeycombs. It aims to evaluate the hygienic behavior of the hybrid honeybee colonies by using two assays (pin-killed brood and freeze-killed brood). The readings were taken after 12, 24, 48, 72, and 168 hours. After 48 hours, the findings showed that 50% of bee colonies had achieved high hygienic behavior of more than 95% and average hygienic behavior ranging between 63.66 and 97.66% for the tested colonies. However, the average hygienic behavior of colonies in the freeze-killed brood assay ranged between 61.66 and 96.66%, and the average hygienic behavior exceeded 95% in 41.66% of tested colonies. The findings also showed that the colonies that did not show hygienic behavior in the pin-killed brood assay did so in the freeze-killed brood assay.
Keywords: Hygienic behavior, pin-killed brood, freeze-killed assay, Syria.
Full paper in Arabic: PDF