Hello John/All,
> Bob/All:
>    I guess we finally agree on something - if the colony stings or runs
too
> much, it needs work.
>  - Thanks,
>          John Edwards, USDA-ARS BeeLab, Tucson, Arizona
I am going to use this post to say something I have been wanting to post all
through this discussion. I have got a close friend which is a commercial
beekeeper in Nebraska.  His father before. We have had long talks while
crossing country bouncing around in bee trucks about Africanized bees. I
always like the straight forward approach of the beekeeper .  I want to post
his viewpoint and a comments of my own supporting his viewpoint below his.
His point of view:.
What's all the fuss about? If they are not the kind of bees you want
requeen.
No such thing as AHB. Scientists separated those races and now can't tell
them apart!
I am curious what John replies back when the commercial beekeeper says the
above?
<What is all the fuss about?>
We have spent a huge amount of bee research money to determine some bees can
be *very aggressive* AND some not.
<if they are not the kind of bees you want requeen>
Is not this what John is agreeing with?
<"no such thing as AHB">
Best example: 'Chads in election in Florida"  Can our experts agree on what
is and what isn't with certainty and what has the tests to do with
aggression and running on the comb?
<scientists separated those races and now can't tell the races apart>
Isn't this exactly the problem. A. mellifera S. has a distinct color
pattern. What the USDA calls AHB does not carry the scutellata pattern from
what I have been able to find out. Would you call a black bee Italian?
Scutellata  is the only African bee with serious problems *in my opinion*.
After looking at AHb deeply and trying to read everything I could and now
back to the start I have a hard time presenting researchers point of view to
beekeepers. Maybe John Edwards will give his input. My Nebraska friend is a
excellent beekeeper and reads Bee-L but is a lurker. I dedicate this post on
AHB to my Nebraska friend
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri