Tim's answer to the question about pricking the brood was right on target.

Question:  "Is it needed that the brood be actually killed?"

>Response:  The problem is that the bees will respond to the disturbed comb
>or physically injured larvae ... this may tell you nothing about how well
>the bees will detect and removed dead larvae in undamaged cells.

The purpose of the test is for bees to detect and remove dead larvae, not
to see whether they respond to damage to the cell.  That's why we abandoned
Steve Tabor's cut and freeze approach -- some of our colonies responded to
the cutting of the comb, regardless of whether the brood was dead or alive.

Some years ago in Seattle we did a series of 'prick' tests.  One beekeeper
decided to monitor the test area by placing a plastic frame around the test
area (to make it easier to find).  The bees removed the kill rows and the
unkilled control rows -- all brood within the frame.

Jerry

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