Study on an easy method of hygienic behaviour evaluation in honey bee

The aim of research was the assessent of the hygienic behaviour of worker bees. The hygienic behaviour was assessed by means of two test types: the traditional needle test and a test proposed by the authors that consisted in measuring the removal rate of cardboard pieces. The experiments were conducted over three seasons and comprised a total number of 60 colonies. It was proved that the cardboard removal test may replace the needle test in the selection process of bees resistant to brood diseases, but primarily in those bees that have a good expression of hygienic behaviour. The best test results are to be expected in tests which last for 24 hours.