The effect of temperature and humidity on grooming behaviour of honeybee, Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae) colonies against varroa mite, Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae)
Grooming behaviour is one of the important mechanisms of honeybee defence against parasitic mites. In addition to genetical characteristics, environmental conditions affect the behavioural traits of honeybee colonies. The main objective of this study was to examine the effect of temperature and humi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Entomological Society of Iran
2009-02-01
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| Series: | نامه انجمن حشرهشناسی ایران |
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| Online Access: | https://jesi.areeo.ac.ir/article_105283_101c31dfa08c6db111a00b770509b88b.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797973220215750656 |
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| author | G. H. Tahmasbi |
| author_facet | G. H. Tahmasbi |
| author_sort | G. H. Tahmasbi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Grooming behaviour is one of the important mechanisms of honeybee defence against parasitic mites. In addition to genetical characteristics, environmental conditions affect the behavioural traits of honeybee colonies. The main objective of this study was to examine the effect of temperature and humidity on the ability of honeybee workers to remove varroa mites from their body. One hundred worker bees from resistant and susceptible colonies were placed in cages and infested with 40 varroa mites per cage. Cages from each group of workers were randomly assigned to a combination of temperature and humidity treatments. Individual cages were held in incubators at 10, 25 and 34ï°C under low (20%), medium (50%) and high (80%) humidity. The entire experiment was replicated three times (18 cages per replicate). The proportion of mites falling into the base of the cages (grooming), or migrating within the closed system and the number of dead bees were monitored on day 2, 4 and 6 of experiment. At the end of experiment the proportion of mites on the live bees, dead bees and in the equipment was also determined. The results showed significant differences in the ability of the two groups to groom mites off their bodies and that the relative effectiveness of the grooming in the two groups of bees was dependent upon the combination of temperature and humidity to which they were exposed. Total mite mortality of the two groups of bees was also different; however, it was not influenced by temperature. Total mite mortality may include grooming, or the natural mite fall that cannot relocate their host. In the programs that are attempting to breed bees with increased grooming behaviour and enhanced resistance to Varroa destructor (Anderson & Trueman), the environmental conditions should be considered under which experiments are carried out. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:00:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-90933c40bfc14411b74e84124ef82ff4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0259-9996 2783-3968 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:00:49Z |
| publishDate | 2009-02-01 |
| publisher | Entomological Society of Iran |
| record_format | Article |
| series | نامه انجمن حشرهشناسی ایران |
| spelling | doaj.art-90933c40bfc14411b74e84124ef82ff42023-01-01T23:33:24ZengEntomological Society of Iranنامه انجمن حشرهشناسی ایران0259-99962783-39682009-02-01282723105283The effect of temperature and humidity on grooming behaviour of honeybee, Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae) colonies against varroa mite, Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae)G. H. TahmasbiGrooming behaviour is one of the important mechanisms of honeybee defence against parasitic mites. In addition to genetical characteristics, environmental conditions affect the behavioural traits of honeybee colonies. The main objective of this study was to examine the effect of temperature and humidity on the ability of honeybee workers to remove varroa mites from their body. One hundred worker bees from resistant and susceptible colonies were placed in cages and infested with 40 varroa mites per cage. Cages from each group of workers were randomly assigned to a combination of temperature and humidity treatments. Individual cages were held in incubators at 10, 25 and 34ï°C under low (20%), medium (50%) and high (80%) humidity. The entire experiment was replicated three times (18 cages per replicate). The proportion of mites falling into the base of the cages (grooming), or migrating within the closed system and the number of dead bees were monitored on day 2, 4 and 6 of experiment. At the end of experiment the proportion of mites on the live bees, dead bees and in the equipment was also determined. The results showed significant differences in the ability of the two groups to groom mites off their bodies and that the relative effectiveness of the grooming in the two groups of bees was dependent upon the combination of temperature and humidity to which they were exposed. Total mite mortality of the two groups of bees was also different; however, it was not influenced by temperature. Total mite mortality may include grooming, or the natural mite fall that cannot relocate their host. In the programs that are attempting to breed bees with increased grooming behaviour and enhanced resistance to Varroa destructor (Anderson & Trueman), the environmental conditions should be considered under which experiments are carried out.https://jesi.areeo.ac.ir/article_105283_101c31dfa08c6db111a00b770509b88b.pdfvarroa mitehoneybeegroomingtemperaturehumidity |
| spellingShingle | G. H. Tahmasbi The effect of temperature and humidity on grooming behaviour of honeybee, Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae) colonies against varroa mite, Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) نامه انجمن حشرهشناسی ایران varroa mite honeybee grooming temperature humidity |
| title | The effect of temperature and humidity on grooming behaviour of honeybee, Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae) colonies against varroa mite, Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) |
| title_full | The effect of temperature and humidity on grooming behaviour of honeybee, Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae) colonies against varroa mite, Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) |
| title_fullStr | The effect of temperature and humidity on grooming behaviour of honeybee, Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae) colonies against varroa mite, Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of temperature and humidity on grooming behaviour of honeybee, Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae) colonies against varroa mite, Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) |
| title_short | The effect of temperature and humidity on grooming behaviour of honeybee, Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae) colonies against varroa mite, Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) |
| title_sort | effect of temperature and humidity on grooming behaviour of honeybee apis mellifera hym apidae colonies against varroa mite varroa destructor acari varroidae |
| topic | varroa mite honeybee grooming temperature humidity |
| url | https://jesi.areeo.ac.ir/article_105283_101c31dfa08c6db111a00b770509b88b.pdf |
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