Surely these queen producers have some mode of testing their breeder
queens so they can make the claim that their production queens produce
workers who have a hygienic trait.  Who?  What?  and How?

> Of course they all do.


I believe Peter from down under laid it out quite nicely. It's not rocket
science.
All beeks should as Peter  do their own testing , it's part of beekeeping.
Up here in Ontario we select a decent frame of capped brood and then either
by pricking of 100 cells or some of us have access to liquid nitrogen ( not
suggest to be handled by untrained unqualified people) and a ring is
pressed into the capped brood area , an area of similar no . of cells i.e.
100 and the nitrogen is then poured into this area.  It of course freezes
instantly.  The ring is removed
24 hrs later in both methods, the bees should have removed the dead
larvae.  The remaining capped ones is subtracted from the uncapped and thus
e.g. if 5 remain of the 100  then the 95 represent 95%  hygienic.
One prefers between that and 100%.
thus selection for grafting can then be made from the highest factor.
so that's your  who, what and how.
If you purchase queens, you have the right to ask the hygienic factor from
your supplier. If their uncomfortable or don't have an answer move on but
tell others also.
Everyone should do this to the hives where queens have been replaced
verifying  what your supplier told you ( in writing on the receipt). If you
find different, have it out with your supplier.
If one is aware of supercedure or after installing a swarm,  one aught to
do this if one is really into it and verify that one then will have a
hygienic hive so to speak.
 it may not necessarily be the maternal line but rather your drone lines or
both that you may have to deal with in a similar fashion or both. It takes
time , lots of time to sort things out .
It is  the interest, dedication , responsibility aspect that makes a good
beeyard to say the least.

Walter
littlewolfapiaries.com

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