Behaviour Genetics of Nest Cleaning in Honeybees V. Effect of Previous Experience and Composition of Mixed Colonies on Response to Disease-Killed Brood

SUMMARYMixed honeybee colonies were established of approximately equal numbers of two genetic lines of workers, one which removes brood killed by A.F.B, from the brood nest quickly (hygienic type), the other slowly (non-hygienic). The mixed colonies removed diseased-killed brood as quickly as colonies composed entirely of the hygienic genotype. When the two genotypes of bees in the mixed colonies were separated, their subsequent behaviour was the same as that of the pure-line controls. Learning by association with bees of another type did not affect their hygienic behaviour. In small colonies in which about 13% of the bees were of the hygienic type, the dead brood was not all removed.