Hello Chris & All,
Chris asks:
> Isn't absconding a habit of African bees?

absolutely! Swarming or absconding is hard to tell apart. In Florida AHB can 
swarm/abscond as many as 16 times.

Do I think AHB genetics as responsible in Dave and Jims cases?

I don't believe so but quite a bit of AHB genetics are in U.S. stock. My 
friends keeping scuts in South Africa say absconding can produce CCD like 
symptoms. They also say why scuts abscond at times is a mystery.

Commercial beekeepers in areas of AHB do not (for the most part) send off 
samples for AHB testing but instead depopulate aggressive hives. The "kick" 
test is most used.

bob 

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