Response of foster Asian honeybee (Apis cerana Fabr.) colonies to the brood of European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) infested with parasitic mite,Varroa jacobsoni oudemans

The response of Asian honeybee (Apis cerana Fabr.) colonies toward the introduced worker brood of the European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) infested with the parasitic mite Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans was investigated. When no mites were present, 40% of the healthy open brood and 3% of the healthy capped brood of the European honeybees were rejected by the Asian honeybee colonies. When the brood was infested, brood rejection was significantly higher for open (P < 0.05) and capped broods (P < 0.01). The brood removal activity decreased with time. The quantity of brood removed was also correlated with mite infestation level for open (r² = 0.933) and sealed broods (r² = 0.918). The feasibility of using heterospecific colonies to control Varroa mite is unclear and is discussed from behavioral and ecological points of view.