Hi all,

 Barry Sergeant said
> When I work my own bees, which are also scutellata, but bred to
> certain refinements, I need very little, if any smoke.

in the thread on smokers.

I asked wether the aggro could be bred out of the AHB, and I've had (small)
experience with scutellata. One of the more memorable being opening a
termite mound hive mistakenly with a Massey 35 tractor...They seemed no
different from
the average hybrid here in Berkshire, some of which are facing extinction by
my hand :-( ! I have a very experienced English beekeepers word that the AHB
he experienced on a visit to USA seemed 'just like bees'  as well. I have
experienced very docile bees too, but consider them the exception in my
wannabee
collection still. Even at their angriest I haven't experienced the 'boiling
out of the box' or smelt stinging with my bees, but I have been assured that
English bees are capable of sending fully suited beeks to their truck. I
have worked on a few documentaries...and have a healthy scepticism about
what I've seen 'killer bees' do for the cameras. Also hearsay about bees
being riled up for reporters.

I still have my original question...which Barry Sergeant's aside on another
topic seems to hint at an answer to. I believe Brother Adam did not use
scutella, can any one confirm this? I don't know why I think scutella don't
get AFB, perhaps because South Africa do import honey, yet still have no
problem with AFB...am I wrong? Is the AFB resistance not part of the reason
for the
original importation to America?

I appreciate your replies. Again sorry if it is old hat to some. I just
don't understand WHAT makes the difference, the scut or the locals...
 Luckily here in
England it's kind of academic...I think.

John Sewell