Speaking of observable traits and making assumptions, something educational
happened to me yesterday in the form of a call from the Ag Commissioner's
office.

A few weeks ago in one of my gentle apiaries I opened a hive and was
attacked in a way which hadn't happened to me since South Africa. My
records weren't what they should of been, but I think it was from a small
swarm into an empty hive early in the year. The hive was so wild, and the
surrounding hives so gentle that I knew it was the bees themselves and not
environmental. I managed to find the queen (there was brood in 3 supers)
and squish her. She was yellow. I then came back in 10 days and was
attacked upon getting out of my truck. I destroyed all the queen cells and
introduced a gentle queen that I had from a hive I keep by my house. I used
a plastic cage with two small marshmallows and pushed the cage a third into
some capped comb so the honey was dripping around her, and I smoked the
hive heavily. Three days later, I was again attacked upon leaving my truck,
and when I opened the hive there was no difference in behavior even though
the queen was accepted and laying. I moved the hive to protect farm workers
and 3 days later there was brood but no change in behavior. I moved the
hive in the day, so some been were adopted by surrounding hives and
yesterday I was attacked by a few bees from hives that were gentle.

It then dawned on me that: small swarm in the off season, yellow queen,
very aggressive, no change in behavior with new queen, AHB in the adjoining
county...Well, I was about 99% positive San Luis Obispo was going to report
it's first AHB, so I took some bees down to the Ag Commissioner's office.

The next week they called and said DNA sampling showed them to be European.
The day before they called to warn me not to tell people they were AHB so
as not to cause panic.

So with my little lesson comes a question. If I were to get a copy of the
report, would it be in a form that someone without an advanced degree or
training could understand? The lady said both DNA and physical measuring
tests were done. Could I even ask for a copy?


Thanks

Tim Vaughan