Hello Dave & All,
Dave wrote:
> We had Mr. Jackson from the Texas inspection program do a session at the
> Nebraska  Master Beekeepers in which they mounted wings on glass sides,
enlarged them via  a slide projector and measured wing veins (morphometrics)
to quickly decide if  EHB or AHB
I have attended two of Paul Jacksons programs on venation of the worker bee
wing. When AHB first arrived the standard*beekeeper* diagnosis was from wing
venation and the cards Mr. Jackson passed out to measure the 4.9mm cell
size. Paul tried to simplify the process for beekeepers. At the ABF
convention in Austin,Texas I found most Texas beekeepers use the *kick the
hive test* . If bees boil out and are aggressive they requeen by dividing
the hive into three nucs and requeening with European queens. The beekeepers
logic was simple. If they are that aggressive they need requeening anyway.
DNA tests are ok but they involve time AND many as Barry says are
inconclusive. In my opinion DNA is  best used after a aggressive hive has
been destroyed which  has caused a stinging incident to see if AHB or only a
swarm of bad tempered European bees were the source of the problem.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri.
Ps. pg 36 of "HIve and the Honey Bee"(copy 1992) shows a picture of worker
fore  wing venation.
Ratioa:b=cubital index