>The pin prick method may over estimate hygienic traits, as it offers
physical clues (damaged capping) beyond dead pupa
e. Liquid nitrogen is the gold standard.
It may be conclusive to use nitrogen for hygienic testing it is hardly feasible for the small time breeder. I've heard of the 21 cell pin prick test as a basic alternative- 3 lines of seven cells each pin pricked for removal in 8 hours or less. 21/21 cells removed in that time qualifies as "hygienic". It doesn't solve the visible cue issue you mentioned but for the novice breeder this may be a useful metric for hygienic selectable trait.
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