EZPZ Pin Tester – Hygienic Behaviour Testing Tool (Australian Made)

The EZPZ Pin Tester is a precision tool designed for assessing hygienic behaviour in honey bee colonies. By gently piercing capped brood to mimic damaged or dead brood, the pin test provides a reliable and repeatable method for identifying colonies with strong hygienic traits — ideal for queen breeders, selection programs, and any beekeeper aiming to improve colony resilience.

Built from durable PETG, the tester is heat-resistant, UV stable, and suitable for regular field use. The replaceable stainless-steel pins ensure long service life and consistent performance.

Proudly designed and manufactured in Australia, the EZPZ Pin Tester supports local production while delivering commercial-grade quality for your breeding program.

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Features

🐝 Accurate hygienic behaviour testing

🔩 Replaceable stainless-steel pins for long-term use

🇦🇺 100% Australian made

♻️ PETG construction – strong, heat-resistant, and durable

✔️ Easy to use – simply press onto capped worker brood

✔️ Helps identify colonies with superior hygienic traits

✔️ Supports breeding for improved disease and mite resistance

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How to Use

1. Locate an area of solid purple-eye stage capped worker brood.

2. Press the EZPZ Pin Tester gently into the brood to pierce the cells.

3. Mark the frame and return it to the colony.

4. Check at 6, 12, and 24 hours for uncapping and removal activity.

5. Record results to compare hygienic performance across colonies.

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Specifications

Material: PETG

Pins: Stainless steel (replaceable)

Dimensions: Standard EZPZ format (compatible with brood frames)

Made in: Australia

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What's Included

1 × EZPZ Pin Tester

1X Guide for easy testing.

Pre-installed stainless-steel pin array

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Perfect For:

Queen breeders

Instrumental insemination programs

Varroa and disease-resistance selection

Hobbyists and professionals wanting healthier colonies

✅ What good/hygienic behaviour looks like

After piercing capped brood (at the red/purple-eye stage), a colony with strong hygienic behaviour should begin uncapping the cells within a few hours.

 By about 6–9 hours, many of the pierced cells should be opened and some removal of brood contents should be underway. 

By the 20-24 hour mark, a well-hygienic colony could have 80-100% of the targeted cells cleared (emptied) if conditions are good. 

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⚠️ Intermediate / weaker responses

If only 30-40% clearance is seen after ~6 hours, this suggests the hygienic trait is present but not exceptionally strong. The colony may still respond, but more slowly or less consistently. 

If after 12-24 hours many cells remain un-opened or un-cleared, then the colony’s hygienic response is low. This signals that selection (if you’re breeding for hygiene) should be cautious

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❌ Poor/no response

If nothing or almost nothing is cleared, then the colony likely lacks the hygienic trait to a useful degree. Selection for breeding should probably exclude such colonies (or work harder on drone genetics to improve). 

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🔍 Important caveats & factors affecting results

The brood stage is critical: the piercing should be done at the red or purple-eye pupal stage for best validity. 

External factors can interfere and reduce observed hygiene, even if the genetics are good. These include:

High ambient temperatures or major foraging activity = less brood-care time. 

Heavy disease pressure (paradoxically may mask true capacity). 

Disturbance of colony or testing at a poor time. 

The test shows a snapshot of behaviour — repeating the test under different conditions is wise to confirm results. 

--🎯 Suggested interpretation framework (for your tool)

Result at ~6 hours Interpretation

> 80% cells opened/cleared Strong hygienic behaviour; very good candidate for breeding/selection.

30-80% opened/cleared Moderate hygienic behaviour; trait is present but needs monitoring/stabilising.

< 30% opened/cleared or minimal removal Low hygienic behaviour; likely not ideal for breeding focus.

And then check at ~24 hours: if still many cells remain uncleared, that’s a warning.