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Updated: May 5, 2026

Evaluating the Effect of Environmental Chemicals on Honey Bee Development from the Individual to Colony Level
Published on: April 1, 2017
Interfamily variation in comb wax hydrocarbons produced by honey bees
M D Breed1, R E Page, B E Hibbard
1Department of Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology, The University of Colorado, 80309-0334, Boulder, Colorado.
Abstract:
The hydrocarbons of honeybee comb wax vary significantly between colonies. This variation is explained in part by genetic (familial) differences among colonies. Even though significant differences in wax hydrocarbons exist among families, there is a high level of consistency within and among families in a correlation analysis, indicating structural constancy in comb wax. The significance of these results in interpreting the potential role of comb wax in the nestmate recognition system of the honeybee is discussed.
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