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Tag: parasites

honey bees on brood frame

For Good of the Colony, Sick Honey Bee Brood Sounds the Alarm

Honey bees detect and remove brood afflicted with parasites or pathogens. A new study shows that part of this "hygienic behavior" relies on chemical signals emitted by unhealthy brood, and brood coming from colonies bred to be more hygienic are more effective in signaling for their own removal.