Abstract
Simple SummaryHoneybee workers are able to detect dead or infected brood in comb cells and remove it outside the nest before the infection spreads onto the colony. Such a phenomena is called an hygienic behaviour. Colonies with efficient hygienic behaviour are more resistant to diseases. Bee comb cells may vary in width. In Europe, standard-cell combs (cell width approx. 5.50 mm) and small-cell combs (cell width approx. 4.90 mm) are used. Typically, colonies are kept only on standard- or small-cell combs. We assessed the dead brood removal efficiency in colonies kept on both comb types. Simultaneous keeping of a colony on standard- and small-cell combs is a novel approach to the use of small-cell combs in beekeeping. The removal from small-cell combs was significantly more efficient than in the case of the standard-cell combs, which indicates that bees find dead brood in small-cell combs faster or devoted more attention to the removal. Better understanding of the effect of the simultaneous keeping of colonies on standard- and small-cell combs on the efficiency of hygienic behaviour may contribute to enhancement of the resistance of bee colonies to diseases.The efficiency of the hygienic behaviour in bee colonies towards dead brood was assessed in small-cell combs (SMCombs) and in standard-cell combs (STCombs). Each colony had both types of combs in the nest on a permanent basis. Simultaneous keeping of a colony on standard- and small-cell combs is a novel approach to the use of small-cell combs in beekeeping. The number of killed pupae removed within 24 h was the measure of the hygienic behaviour efficiency. Regardless of the year, the brood in the SMCombs was uncapped and removed significantly more efficient (p ≤ 0.01) than in the STCombs (number of non-uncapped cells: in 2020 SMCombs = 3.79, STCombs = 11.62; in 2021 SMCombs = 2.34, STCombs = 5.28 and completely removed cells: in 2020 SMCombs = 87.46, STCombs = 80.04; in 2021 SMCombs = 96.75, STCombs = 92.66). In colonies kept simultaneously on standard- and small-cell combs, the width of the comb cells has a significant effect on the efficiency of removal of dead brood, which is removed more efficient from small-cell combs than from standard-cell combs.
Highlights
In addition to cellular and humoral immune responses against pathogens [1], social insects have developed social resistance, with nest hygiene as one of its forms [2,3]
Previous investigations were focused on comparison of colonies kept only on small-cell combs with colonies kept only on standard-cell combs
In the centre of the nest in each colony, there were four small-cell combs (SMCombs) and five standard-cell combs (STCombs); three of the latter combs were located to the right and two to the left of the SMCombs (Figure 1)
Summary
In addition to cellular and humoral immune responses against pathogens [1], social insects have developed social resistance, with nest hygiene as one of its forms [2,3] This type of resistance was detected in termites [4], ants [5,6], stingless bees [7], and honeybees [8,9]. Hygienic behaviour is a natural defence mechanism against brood diseases It consists in recognition and uncapping cells with dead or infected brood and removal of the brood from the nest before the infection spreads in the colony [10,11,12]. The number or percentage of killed pupae that are completely removed per unit of time, most often within 24 h, is a measure of hygienic behaviour [13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
