> it rare for anyone here to get the chance to do any [AFB] sniffing
practice!

In my experience in California, AFB generally, but not always, produces its
distinct and characteristic odor.  I personally have a very sensitive sense
of smell, and detect most cases of AFB as we are loading a truck or when
someone cracks a lid.  We then inspect the combs until we find the source
(and then burn all combs in the hive).

A couple of years ago, I was invited to an urban apiary of about 30 hives
to give a weekend workshop. One of the early hives that I inspected had a
textbook case of AFB.  But when I held up the salt and pepper, dark and
perforated comb for all to inspect, not a single hobby beekeeper recognized
the obvious signs of the disease.  I explained what it was (they'd all
heard of it) and allowed them to get a whiff of the smell.

Within a few minutes, by strolling through the apiary (not even opening the
hives), several members located a number of additional hives with the
disease, simply from the odor emanating from the entrances.
-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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