Hygienic Behaviors in The Iranian Honey Bee (Apis mellifera meda): Effects of Location and Season on Its Expression

The adverse effects of synthetic acaricides have led researchers and beekeepers to seek for the safe and sustainable alternatives to treat the honey bee varroosis caused by Varroa mite (Varroa destructor). The current research aimed to assess the expression of hygienic behaviors and the effects of season and location on its expression in 150 Iranian honey bee (Apis mellifera meda) colonies located in five cities of Kurdistan province, Iran since 2022 to 2024. In addition, the correlation between hygienic behaviors and some functional-behavioral characteristics was investigated. The results revealed a significant difference 48 hours after pouring liquid nitrogen between the honey bee colonies of the studied cities regarding hygienic behaviors (p