<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>To separate gentle from defensive bee types, a rating scale is the most reliable, economical, and practical evaluation system. In initiating a breeding programme for the indigenous Syrian honeybee Apis mellifera syriaca, a typical representative of the endangered subspecies of the Middle East, multiple measurements were used to generally monitor this behavior and verify whether the international Apimondia recommendations are suitable for such subspecies. A total of 72 beekeepers and three breeding centers provided performancetesting results from 969 colonies distributed throughout 75 apiaries in Syria. Each colony was tested, on average, 4.73 times (4584 records total). The defensive behavior of A. m. syriaca was found to be very aggressive (1.48 scored by a system ranging from 1 (aggressive) to 4 (gentle)). The low repeatability (0.19) of defensive behavior estimated using restricted maximal likelihood analysis and the low and skewed variation of the trait indicate that other scoring systems are expected to be more efficient for selective breeding towards gentle behavior.</p></abstract>

To separate gentle from defensive bee types, a rating scale is the most reliable, economical, and practical evaluation system. In initiating a breeding programme for the indigenous Syrian honeybee Apis mellifera syriaca, a typical representative of the endangered subspecies of the Middle East, multiple measurements were used to generally monitor this behavior and verify whether the international Apimondia recommendations are suitable for such subspecies. A total of 72 beekeepers and three breeding centers provided performancetesting results from 969 colonies distributed throughout 75 apiaries in Syria. Each colony was tested, on average, 4.73 times (4584 records total). The defensive behavior of A. m. syriaca was found to be very aggressive (1.48 scored by a system ranging from 1 (aggressive) to 4 (gentle)). The low repeatability (0.19) of defensive behavior estimated using restricted maximal likelihood analysis and the low and skewed variation of the trait indicate that other scoring systems are expected to be more efficient for selective breeding towards gentle behavior.

Subjective evaluation of defensive behavior in the Syrian honeybee (Apis mellifera syriaca)

Institute for Bee Research Hohen Neuendorf Friedrich-Engels Str. 32- 16540 Hohen Neuendorf, Germany

Journal of Apicultural Science

To separate gentle from defensive bee types, a rating scale is the most reliable, economical, and practical evaluation system. In initiating a breeding...

Subjective evaluation of defensive behavior in the Syrian honeybee (Apis mellifera syriaca)

Published Online: Dec 31, 2013

Page range: 137 - 145

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jas-2013-0024

Keywords
behavior scoring system, defensive behavior, gentleness, honeybee, repeatability

This content is open access.

Subjective evaluation of defensive behavior in the Syrian honeybee (Apis mellifera syriaca)

Published Online: Dec 31, 2013

Page range: 137 - 145

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jas-2013-0024

Keywordsbehavior scoring system, defensive behavior, gentleness, honeybee, repeatability

This content is open access.

Keywords
behavior scoring system, defensive behavior, gentleness, honeybee, repeatability