In a message dated 22/01/2010 16:01:38 GMT Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: Once you have any level of experience, and a keen enough eye ( ie the Polish girl mentioned in other posts who has eyes sharper than a hawk for abnormalities) your own observation ( eye and nose) It is difficult to get enough experience cheaply! I have seen it only once (in 2000) in my own hives, in a couple of cells in a nuc. I called the Bee Inspector who thought it wasn't EFB but sent off a sample for testing anyway, which proved positive. I called an Inspector last year, duty bound, because I couldn't be certain that what I was seeing was not EFB. He applied the Vita tool and said not. The general impression (I don't know whether or not borne out by the figures - I don't have access to them) is that, in England, EFB has been on an upsurge since burning in all cases was abandoned. However 'post hoc ergo propter hoc' may not apply! Chris *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html Access BEE-L directly at: http://community.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-LSOFTDONATIONS.exe?A0=BEE-L