Productivity of honey and defensive behavior as an index genetic improvement of africanized bees

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the correlation between the productivity of honey and defensive behavior in Africanized honeybee’s colonies, seeking applications genetic breeding programs. This work was done at Salvador-BA, using fourteen colonies of Africanized honeybees, Apis mellifera, from capture in nature, which were analyzed on the defensive and productivity of honey. The defensive behavior was qualified with the methodology subjective analysis at field, with the classification of the defensive behavior showed by colonies in categories (0 to 4) previously established by assessing the reaction of colonies through the actions of the observer. The production of honey was measured with the weighing of the honey combs from mature honey box of each colony. Six colonies were found classified as highly defensive and eight tame. About the productivity of honey, the colonies had a average production of 12,8 ± 10,9kg. The analysis of correlation showed a positive correlation statistically lower significant between the productivity of honey and defensive behavior (=0,490), showing that these two variables aren’t sufficiently linked. Thus, is possible the selection of hives with low defensive and with high production of honey, so as to enable the appropriate management with high honey production.