> The test is a valuable test but hardly on a level with Dr. Harbo & Dr.
> Harris SMR & PMIB research (as far as time and labor involved).

> I was taught by Dr. Harbo himself after his presentation at an ABF meeting
> I believe in 2002 in Savannah. Once the procedure was explained to me in
> detail I quickly picked up the procedure.

It is very interesting to look over Dr. Harbo's shoulder, so to speak, and
see what he has been observing.  A camera focused on a brood comb surface in
the lab allows one to uncap and look into cells and see the mites inside
running around on a TV-like monitor.

See http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/images/harbo(1).jpg and
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/images/harbo(2).jpg for pictures of the
lab set-up.

Both matures, immatures, and fecal spots and other features are very
obvious, and their states, conditions, and activities can be observed quite
clearly and comfortably.  As mentioned here before, the observations made
are very detailed.

> Much much more is involved in evaluating hygienic behavior in bees in my
> opinion. We have only scratched the surface!

It seems that the definition is expanding as well, if there actually is a
definition.  Maybe it is just a word that means what the user wishes.

> Most bees which show SMR do not test hygienic by Marla's method. Brood I
> have pulled and check for varroa reproduction in hygienic queen headed
> hives have not shown the lack of varroa reproduction that the SMR breeder
> queen daughter hives have.

> Some SMR F1 hives don't even clean the bottom boards! Some (if not most)
> were not exceptional housekeepers but terrible housekeepers!

This is the interesting and very significant point.  Apparently the concept
of hygienic behaviour is expanding and assimilating an increasing range of
behaviours.  And apparently, now, 'hygienic' bees need not exhibit the full
set of behaviours????

I'm curious about his process of word drift, since, in my lifetime, I have
seen many words and phrases mutate in usage, sometimes to a point where they
are used in a way that seems opposite to their original meaning.

allen

Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.
            -- Malcolm Forbes, in Forbes Magazine

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