ABSTRACT
The removal of dead adults from the nest is named necrophoric behavior to represent collective behavior and favors colony health by reducing contact with potential pathogens. Honey bee colonies in an apiary usually have different genotype, and therefore morphological, economic, and ethological characteristics vary from colony to colony. Beekeepers establish a breeding program to evaluate the performance of various honey bee races. Genetic variability and preserving the autochthonous managed honey bee populations are also an important objective of performing the quality breeding program. Grooming behavior may potentially be included in honey bee breeding programs for queens rearing and reproduction, and increase the ability of honey bees to resist Varroa. Disease resistance is known to correlate with the “hygienic behavior” of worker bees. This is a genetically controlled collective response by adult workers to recognize dead brood and then remove the infected or damaged brood.
