Hello All,
I learned an interesting fact from Dr. Orley Taylor ( spent five years on 
Mexican border doing research on AHB) in a presentation on AHB at the fall 
meeting of the Kansas Honey Producers.

Dr. Taylor said AHB is most aggressive when nectar is coming in rather than 
less aggressive when nectar is coming in like our EU bees.

Arizona around Tucson is not known for big honey crops and big nectar 
flows. Perhaps one reason Dee has not seen the type of aggressive behavior 
as  in Florida is what dr. Taylor reports.

If AHB ( as reported by Taylor) is the most aggressive when nectar is 
coming in an effective management tool it would seem is to wait until all 
flows are stopped to harvest honey and work the hives.

I have asked researchers what are the odds the Lusbys could keep AHB 
genetics out of 900 hives in an area which has been listed as AHB for over 
a decade.

You all know what the answer was so no use posting.

bob

Ps. I do believe after long conversations with D. murrel and others small 
cell might have some positive points ( even without the AHB genetics factor)
so after much pushing and shoving by the small cell group I have decided to 
test on a small scale ( as i posted earlier).

update:
My 25 pounds ( 175 frames worth)  of 4.9mm foundation came last week. I 
borrowed a Dadant wire embeder from Glenn Davis.I have not wired a frame in 
over 20 years!  I plan on asembling the frames before long and doing as I 
posted earlier. Most small cell people agree I should see some of the 
things they see but maybe not all. Will be fall of 2007 before a report on 
what I am seeing can be made.

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