Aim:

The purpose of the investigation was to analyze the relationships between the defensiveness, diameter of the worker's baby cell and the production of honey bees (Apis mellifera) in the highlands of Ecuador.

Methods:

75 bee colonies were evaluated in the months of March-April, May-July (during the production stage) and September, at altitudes between 2 600 and 3 274 m a.s.l. To each colony the defense was determined through the flag technique, the diameter of the cells was obtained through the measurement of ten cells of the worker's honeycomb and the honey production was determined by difference of weight.

Results:

An average value of 14 stingers/min was found, the maximum and minimum values for this behavioral trait were 47 and 4 stingers/min; for the diameter of the 10 cells, an average of 5.28 cm was found, with maximum and minimum values of 5.50 and 4.95 cm, respectively.A significant correlation was identified (-0.358 **), which indicates that colonies with greater defensiveness had a smaller cell diameter. The production showed an average of 25.08 kg of honey / colony, unrelated to the variables under study.

Conclusions:

There were no relationships between production and the other variables under study, so it would be possible to select less defensive colonies and with larger cell diameters, without affecting honey production.