Pejovic, D.; Vucicevic, M. and Stanimirovic, Z. - Apimondia

GROOMING BEHAVIOR IN VAROOSIS RESISTANCE IN TWO
HONEYBEE ECOGEOGRAPHIC VARIETIES (APIS MELLIFERA
CARNICA) FROM SERBIA
Dejan Pejovic, Marijana Vucicevic and Zoran Stanimirovic
Department of Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Beograd,
P O Box 370, 11000 Beograd, Bulevar JNA 18, Yugoslavia
Tel: + 381 11 658-894, Fax: +381 11 685-936, biolog@vet.bg.ac.yu
Introduction
Grooming behaviour, or hygienic behaviour in a narrow sense, is a specific form of hygienic
behaviour. It is a very complex feature whose purpose is the removal and extermination of the mite
Varroa destructor, and implies the clearance of mites by honeybees themselves, the so called
“clearance dance“, the cleaning of open infested brood cells, and the group, i.e. mutual cleaning of
infested honeybee workers. The grooming behaviour is of special interest for scientists involved in
the research on the behavioural characteristics of the honeybee populations, and of, an even greater
importance for those whose duty it is to control honeybee infectious diseases, not to mention bee
keepers for whom the grooming behaviour means much more than simple resistance. In this work
the investigations of grooming behaviour were carried out in order to determine the level of
grooming behaviour of the two honeybee ecogeographic varieties from Serbia – yellow bees from
Machva region and grey bees from Rudnik region, and in order to answer the question: do intra- and
interpopulation differences exist between the investigated ecogeographic varieties (ecogenotypes)
with reference to this important characteristic of honeybee colonies, especially from the point of its
resistence to some parasitic diseases, with a view of improving selection and rearing of quality
queens.
Materials and Methods
The grooming behaviour of honeybees was monitored on 800 honeybee colonies sampled at 20
localities from Machva and Rudnik regions: 10 potent honeybee colonies with one-year old queens,
10 potent colonies with two-year old queens, 10 medium potent colonies and 10 weak colonies were
analysed on each locality, i.e. 40 honeybee colonies per locality. The analysis and evaluation of
grooming honeybee behaviour were done according to the procedure of Hoffman (1993) modified
by Stanimirovic et al. (2000).
Results
The results of our investigations of the grooming behaviour of the honeybee colonies in Machva
region are presented on graph 1. The potent honeybee colonies (regardless queen age) from 9
localities, were able to demage more than 36% Varroa mites in analysed sample, so according
Hoffman (1993), were qualified as colonies with expressed grooming behaviour. All investigated
medium potent and weak colonies from Machva region and potent colonies (regardless queen age)
from locality Schevarice pertained to category of honeybee colonies without expressed grooming
behaviour, with percentage of damaged Varroa mites from 29,74 to 35,05% (less than 36%),
Proceedings of the 37 th International Apicultural Congress, 28 October – 1 November 2001, Durban, South Africa APIMONDIA 2001
To be referenced as: Proc. 37 th Int. Apic. Congr., 28 Oct – 1 Nov 2001, Durban, South Africa ISBN: 0-620-27768-8
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The results of our investigations of the grooming behaviour of the honeybee colonies in Rudnik
region are presented on graph 2. All investigated potent honeybee colonies (regardless queen age)
pertained to category of honeybee colonies with expressed grooming behaviour, because of ability
to demage more than 36% Varroa mites in analysed sample. All investigated medium potent and
weak colonies from Rudnik region pertained to category of honeybee colonies without expressed
grooming behaviour, with percentage of damaged Varroa mites from 29,43 to 35,34% (less than
36%).
The results of comparision of percentage values of damaged Varroa mites between honeybee
colonies from Rudnik and Machva regions are presented on graph 3.
Discussion and Conclusion
The obtained results concerning the grooming behaviour in the honeybee from the investigated
localities of Machva and the Rudnik show that grooming behaviour potentially exists, but its
significance cannot be discussed as, on the whole, the ability to eliminate damaged mites in the total
number of eliminated mites from all the investigated colonies amounted to 36%. Namely, the
colonies from Machva (yelow bees) had grooming behaviour with a potential of 34,78%, whereas
those from the Rudnik (grey bees) had a potential of 34,8l% (graph 3). However, the results point to
the existence of a relationship between the grooming behaviour and the strength (potential) of the
colony. Thus, in the honeybee colonies belonging to the category of potent ones, at all l0 localities
from the regions of the Rudnik and 9 from Machva an expressed grooming behaviour was
registered. At the localities from the Rudnik they ranged from 36,41% to 38,68%, and at the
localities of Machva from 36,7% to 42,14%.
We concluded that the grooming behaviour of the investigated yellow bees from Machva and grey
bees from Rudnik, is a reality and a special potential, being more expressed at the population level,
supported by the observed high intra- and interpopulation variabilities of the studied feature. Those
results are in agreement with those of Stanimirovic et al. (2000).
The potent honeybee colonies (regardless queen age) with expressed grooming behaviour at 9
localities from the regions of the Machva and l0 from Rudnik could be used as breeding colonies
for rearing of quality queens.
The obtained data concerning grooming behavioursof yelow and grey bees in Serbia, especially the
fact that variability is higher at population level (intra- and interpopulation variability) compared
with global expression of this feature in bees from investigated regions, indicate that investigated
behaviour is genetically unfixed and poligenic feature. Therefore, the level of grooming behaviour
do not obligatory inherit from parents to offsprings. Our interpretations of results are in agreement
with those of Hoffman (1993) and Stanimirovic et al. (2000).
References
1. Hoffman S. (1993): The occurrence of damaged mites in cage test and under field conditions in hybrids of
different carniolan lines. Apidologie, 24, 493-495.
2. Stanimirovic Z., Mladjan V., Vucicevic Marijana and Todorović Dajana (2000): Biological potency of
honeybee hygienic behavior and diseases resistance. Clinica Veterinaria '2000, 12-16. 06. 2000, pp. 216-
220. Budva, YU.

1.
Graph 1. Comparision of honeybee grooming behaviour from 10 different
localities in Machva region, in accordance to colony strength
Potent (P1+P2)/2
Med. Potent
Weak
42
42.14
41
41.18
40.55
Percentage of demaged mites (grooming behaviour)
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
31
30
39.54
38.98
37.25
36.7
35.05
34.65 34.33 34.47
34.11
33.58
33.27
32.76
32.42
32.14
30.67
38.76
32.73
31.67
31.39
29.74
37.49
33.67
31.45
30.99
30.49
33.4
30.91
1.
29
Schevarice Tabanovic Majur Crna Bara Klenje
1-Limit line for grooming behaviour

Graph 2. Comparision of honeybee grooming behaviour
region, in accordance to colony strength
from 10 different localities in Rudnik
Potent
(P1+P2)/2
Med. Potent
Weak
39
38.68
38.5
Percentage of demaged mites (grooming behaviour)
38
37.5
37
36.5
36
35.5
35
34.5
34
33.5
33
32.5
32
31.5
31
36.43 36.57 36.41
34.15
33
32.56
32.07
31.06
36.57
34.79
34.11
37.5
37.16
34.33 34.39 34.49
31.48
31.17
31.81
37.61
37.2
34.2
33.72
30.99 30.96
37.53
35.34
31.36
1.
30.5
30
29.5
29.43
29
Semedraz Jablanica Brusnica Majdan G.Branetic Nakucani G. Crnuca Klaticevo Grabovica Takovo
1-Limit line for grooming behaviour

Graph 3. Comparision between grooming behaviour of honeybee colonies
from Machva and Rudnik regions
Percentage of demaged mites
36.4
36.2
36
35.8
35.6
35.4
35.2
35
34.8
34.6
34.4
34.2
34
33.8
Limit line for grooming behaviour
34.78% 34.81%
Machva
Rudnik

GROOMING BEHAVIOR IN VAROOSIS RESISTANCE IN TWO
HONEYBEE ECOGEOGRAPHIC VARIETIES (APIS MELLIFERA
CARNICA) FROM SERBIA
Dejan Pejovic, Marijana Vucicevic and Zoran Stanimirovic
Department of Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Beograd,
P O Box 370, 11000 Beograd, Bulevar JNA 18, Yugoslavia
Tel: + 381 11 658-894, Fax: +381 11 685-936, biolog@vet.bg.ac.yu
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name: Zoran Stanimirovic, associate professor
Code number: 2906962772028
Date and place of birth: 29. 06. 1962. Ševarice, YU
Speaking languages: Russian, German, English
Professional career:
- Graduated from the Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, Belgrade University, in
1987.
- MSc from the Faculty of Biology in 1992. The title of the thesis: “Chromosomal polymorphism
of natural populations Mus musculus, Linne (1758) in Yugoslavia”.
- PhD from the Faculty of Biology in 1995. The title of the thesis: “Comparative analyses of
natural and induced polymorphism of chromosomes in the species Mus musculus, Linne
(1758)”.
- Finished “PCR” school at the Faculty of Biology, Belgrade University in 1996.
- In 1988 was elected junior asssistant at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine, Belgrade University.
- In 1993 promoted to Assistant at the same Department.
- In 1996 became an Assistant Professor at the same Department.
- From 1993 to 1997 was engaged to teach at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine
and Dental Faculty, Sarajevo University.
- In 1999/2000 engaged in postgraduated studies at the Faculty of Medicine, Prishtina University.
- Until now has been a mentor for 3 MSc theses; a member of the commissions for 3
specializations, 5 MSc theses and 2 PhD theses.
- In 2001 became an Associated professor at Department of Biology, Belgrade University.
- 1988-2000 he published 77 papers, one monography, one textbook and one manual for practical
classes.