HERITABILITIES AND CORRELATIONS OF THE HONEY BEE : RESPONSE TO NOSEMA APIS, LONGEVITY, AND ALARM RESPONSE TO ISOPENTYL ACETATE

Abstract

Heritabilities, phenotypic correlations, and genotypic correlations for honey bee response to Nosema apis, longevity, and three alarm responses to isopentyl acetate are presented. These measurements indicate that both resistance to N. api.s and longevity can be improved by selective breeding without producing bees unacceptably quick to defend their colonies providing the selection and breeding programs consider effects of dominance and epistasis.