> And exactly how would either of you -- or Peter -- know the queen had scutellata genes?

That was exactly my point. The Apiary Inspectors of America cast doubt on the wing vein test as reliable, and the Apiary Professionals cast doubt on DNA testing as a practical solution, due to lag time, etc. The talk centered around the "kick test". All that really matters is the behavior. 

And by the way, I don't agree with attempting to requeen a vicious hive. Bets are they will kill a store bought queen and raise a bunch of virgins which may even swarm out, increasing the problem. The best approach to a vicious hive is to kill it ASAP. 

If the hive isn't vicious, who cares what's its pedigree? But beyond that, there are African bees in Puerto Rico that are reported to be manageable. If they are mite and/or disease resistant as well, I would want some.

PLB

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