Dave Cushman wrote

> When Apis Mellifera bees were introduced to the American continent, the 
> vast majority were AMM types (Western European mtDNA). The selection that 
> has gone on during the last 100 or so years has changed that drastically, 
> with only 3% [Beltsville 1995] representation of AMM, most of the rest 
> being Eastern European mtDNA types and a percentage of African types (I do 
> not know these percentages).
>
> Surely it follows that by using the same methods, the African genes can be 
> also be reduced.

I thought this at first also looking at the experiences here in Australia 
with AMM.  However, from what I can gather from the bits of information I 
have gathered on the AHB, it is a different situation.  It is not just a 
case of the AHB queens being mated with AM drones.  I see the problem in the 
way the AHB takes over a hive.  These swarms, made up of a AHB queen, take 
over the colony, killing the AM queen.  Thus within a short time that hive 
is now AHB.  Thus it now contributes AHB drones to the area.

Also, I seem to remember in the early days, work by Orley Taylor? showed 
that AHB drones flew later in the day compared to AHB drones and the AHB 
queens flew at this later stage thus making it more likely that she will 
mate with AHB drones.

I know I am a long way away fom the action as regrads AHB and hope that it 
remains that way but thought I would put in the observations above for 
comments by those with more experience.

Trevor Weatherhead
AUSTRALIA
Coming to Apimondia in Australia in 2007

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