>>> The sample came back 100 % EHB based on morphometrics.  I assume
Mona is testing multiple individuals from the sample, using "classical
morphometrics", which involves more than wing venation, and not just a
simple FABIS. <<<

Understand that FABIS is utterly outmoded with the onset and increased
popularity of small cell beekeeping and with the increasing observation
that most feral (I mean by this in the wild and not managed by
beekeepers) populations have a trend to move towards small cell sizes on
their own accord. Most of us who catch swarms and feral colony removals
measure and track the cell structures of their naturally built combs. In
my case, almost all of my swarm captures and the few colony removals I
performed resulted in median cell size smaller than managed small cell
colonies. I do not use foundation in any of my hives whether used for
swarm/removed colony installs or splits and packages and the cores of
all of these hives measure cell sized far below the 4.9 requirement for
small cell beekeeping. My most successful hives in fact have cell sizes
between 4.6 and 4.8mm measured 10 cells in all three planes. A few I
must admit have 5.1mm sized brood nests, but 4 out of 48 hives is a
signifacant minority.

I am not arguing anything here about the benefit of small cell
management, I simply wish to point out the outmoding of FABIS which
relies almost entirely on gross morphemetrics based on assumptions in
cell size.


--
Scot Mc Pherson
The Mc Pherson Family Honey Farms
Bradenton, Florida USA
Davenport, Iowa USA
http://beewiki.linuxfromscratch.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/OrganicBeekeepers/
mailto:[log in to unmask]


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