Applying pesticides against Varroa destructor mite in most part of Iranian apiculture is inevitable. Therefore, we tried to investigate the resistance mechanisms of Iranian honeybees (Apis mellifera meda) against Varroa destructor. In this research, records of 50 colonies of the honeybees collected from five different regions of East Azarbayjan province. Recorded traits of each hive were number of adult bees, number of sealed brood, number of mites in phoretic phase, number of Varroa infestation brood, and number of Varroa mites falling on the hive bottom board (major variable). A multiple regression model studied effect of noise variables on the interested major variable. Then, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to survey variables in different regions of apiculture in terms of number of Varroa fallen down on the bottom board of hives together with four above mentioned variables to examine all variables simultaneously. Results of variance analysis showed significance differences among different regions of apiculture in terms of number of Varroa mites down on the hives bottom board. In addition, results of correlation survey indicated that there is no significance correlation between number of the mites on the hive floor and population of adult bees of colonies and number of the sealed brood. However, there is a positive and significance correlation between number of Varroa fallen down on the bottom board of hives and number of mites in phoretic phase (r = 0.575); and number of Varroa infestation brood (r = 0.625). These results indicate the presence of a high variance of resistance behavior against Varroa destructor; and verify the possibility of breeding and producing bees of Iranian honeybee stocks which are resistant against Varroa.
