Editing Varroa destructor (section)

====Honey bee genetics====
{{further|Varroa sensitive hygiene}}
The Asian honey bee, is more hygienic with respect to Varroa mite than western honey bees, which is in part why mite infestations are more pronounced in western honey bee colonies. Efforts also have been made to breed hygienic honey bees [[heritable]] behavior traits, such as those with resistance to Varroa mites. Honey bee lines with resistance include Minnesota Hygienic Bees, Russian Honey Bees, and [[Varroa sensitive hygiene]].<ref name="Leclercq">{{cite journal |last1=Leclercq |first1=Gil |last2=Pannebakker |first2=Bart |last3=Gengler |first3=Nicolas |last4=Nguyen |first4=Bach Kim |last5=Francis |first5=Frédéric |title=Drawbacks and benefits of hygienic behavior in honey bees ( Apis mellifera L.): a review |journal=Journal of Apicultural Research |date=8 August 2017 |volume=56 |issue=4 |pages=366–375 |doi=10.1080/00218839.2017.1327938|bibcode=2017JApiR..56..366L |s2cid=90034078 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Fact-Sheets/A-Sustainable-Approach-to-Controlling-Honey-Bee-Diseases-and-Varroa-Mites|title=A Sustainable Approach to Controlling Honey Bee Diseases and Varroa Mites|publisher=SARE|access-date=2008-11-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author=Hunt, Greg | author2=Given, J. Krispn | author3=Tsuruda, Jennifer M. | author4=Andino, Gladys K. | title=Breeding Mite-Biting Bees to Control Varroa | url=https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/beehive/pdf/2016_BC_Article.pdf | publisher=Bee Culture | date=April 2016 | access-date=2018-02-18 | archive-date=2018-02-19 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219031344/https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/beehive/pdf/2016_BC_Article.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref> 

Hygienic behaviors include <ref name="Leclercq"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Harris |first1=Jeffrey|last2=Danka |first2=Robert|last3=Villa |first3=José |title=Varroa Sensitive Hygiene and Mite Reproduction – Bee Health |url=https://bee-health.extension.org/varroa-sensitive-hygiene-and-mite-reproduction/ |website=bee-health.extension.org|access-date=7 November 2023}}</ref> workers removing pupae heavily infested with mites, which kills both the developing bee and immature mites, and grooming or removal from the brood cell, which increases adult mite mortality.  Mites removed from host pupae are at an incorrect life stage to re-infest another pupa.  An extended [[phoretic]] period in adult female mites has also been noticed.

Hygienic behavior is effective against diseases such as [[American foulbrood]] or [[List of diseases of the honey bee#Chalkbrood|chalkbrood]], but the efficacy of this behavior against mites is not well-quantified; colonies with this behavior alone do not necessarily result in Varroa mite resistant colonies that can survive without [[miticide]] treatments. The efficacy of this behavior can vary between bee lines in comparison studies with Minnesota hygienic bees removing 66% of infested pupae, while Varroa sensitive hygiene bees removed 85% of infested pupae. There are minimal trade-off costs to hives that have this hygienic behavior, so it is being actively pursued in bee breeding programs.<ref name="Leclercq"/>