Hi Scot & all

> First we need to understand that FABIS is not a final
> determination

In fact, there is no morphometric method that in itself will give definite
results...

Even when the specimen is 'perfect' by morphometric methods, before you can
draw any conclusions, you must take into account the bahavioural
characteristics of the race or strain.

Morphometry is only a guide, it is not an absolute or definitive method.

> At one time it was possible to tell the difference by
> coloration alone,

Commonly stated, but colour is a very complicated parameter, that has some
basis in race, but has other reasons as well... So colour is an indicator
that cannot be relied upon (nor could it ever have been relied upon).

> I assert that feral EHB populations of 3rd or higher
> generation ALWAYS (and I put my reputation
> on that statement) display small cell characteristics and are
> indistinguishable from AHB when using size for qualification

Be careful when making statements like that... I can show you colonies of a
substrain of AMM that will not adopt cells smaller than 5.6 mm even after
several generations of attempted regression... I do not know why, but in
this area (UK midlands) a swarm left to it's own devices will produce 5.6 mm
or even 5.65 mm more or less automatically. Most colonies can be regressed
down to around 5.00 or 5.10, but there are some that never go below 5.6 mm.

Part of the background to my statements here is that this area and several
others around it, were areas where extensive large cell trials were
conducted between 1960 and recent times. As well as this, some of the
commercial foundation sold in this area for many years being of 5.7 mm
cellsize, other foundation bought from abroad has been 5.9 mm and several
beekeepers have made their own foundation using presses that were of 5.9 mm
and another type of tool (Herring plates) for making home made foundation
was of 5.6 mm cellsize.


Regards & best 73s, Dave Cushman, G8MZY
http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman or http://www.dave-cushman.net
Lash up machine

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