Table 3. Average values of behavioral traits for dark forest bees and hybrids during three seasons (2012–2014).
| Behavioral trait | Dark forest bee (five colonies) | Hybrid colonies (five colonies) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | M ± m | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | M ± m | |
| Gentleness* | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2.67 ± 0.41 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2.33 ± 0.41 |
| Calmness on the comb during inspection# | 2.25 | 2 | 2 | 2.08 ± 0.10 | 3 | 2.33 | 2.67 | 2.67 ± 0.24 |
| Swarming tendency## | 2.25 | 2.75 | 2.25 | 2.42 ± 0.20 | 1.33 | 1.67 | 1.33 | 1.44 ± 0.14 |
| Hygienic behavior& | 5 | 4.75 | 4.50 | 4.75 ± 0.18 | 4.33 | 4 | 4 | 4.11 ± 0.13 |
| Cleanliness of the beehive&& | 5 | 4.75 | 4.75 | 4.83 ± 0.10 | 3.67 | 4 | 4 | 3.89 ± 0.13 |
Notes:
M ± m, average value of the sign ± the standard error of the mean.
– Behavior of bees when inspecting the colony: 2 points–calm; 3 points–restless (Costa et al., 2012).
– Calmness on the comb: 2 points–Bees partly leave their combs and cluster in the edges of frames and supers; 3 points–Bees are moving, but do not leave their combs during treatment (Costa et al., 2012).
– Swarming tendency: 1 point–test colony swarmed; 2 points–swarming was difficult to control; 3 points–controlled swarming; 4 points–the colony has shown no swarming tendency (Costa et al., 2012).
– Hygienic behavior: 3 points–satisfactory sanitizing ability; 4 points–good sanitizing ability; 5 points–exceptional sanitizing ability.
– Cleanliness of the beehive: 3 points–average fecal contamination of the hive; 4 points–slight fecal contamination of the hive; 5 points–clean beehive.