>Did not understand the benefits of morphometrics over DNA evaluation. Is
>it cost?
DNA tests are much more expensive and time consuming. FABIS is fast and
reliable, and could be done by semi-skilled workers.
This in from Los Angeles
A sample of bees is collected from a hive and forewing length is measured
under high magnification. The average wing lengths are then looked at to
determine the probability of the sample being Africanized. Today
approximately 80% of samples collected by the L.A. County West Vector
Control District and tested through FABIS are found to be Africanized.
Another size measurement that has been used to make preliminary
identifications in the field is the length of ten cells of honey comb. This
distance in EHB is usually greater than 5.0 cm and in AHB less than 4.9 cm.
Several measurements must be made in areas of naturally drawn comb with no
distortions.
[Now, why would you WANT to raise smaller bees? That only makes testing more
difficult and slower. Slower means more time for them to spread.]
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