Hi Barry,

Barry wrote:
> Please explain how this works, a bee having various "degrees" of AHB. Are
you strictly talking degrees of behavior or something more elusive like
DNA/genetics?

Not degrees of behavior.

Degrees being the number of genes which are from the African linege. In the
first ten to twenty years  after the release most AHb tested carried *no*
EHB genes. When the African bee entered Mexico the bee encountered huge
numbers of commercial EHB. Only then did researchers begain to find EHB
genes.

The actual degree of AHb would relate to the number of genes which were AHb
and the number which were EHb.

it is my understanding that the degree of AHb can only be decided by a study
of the genes.

 Although Dr. Marla Spivak classified AHb in her experiments by degrees of
aggressive behavior.  In a crude way Dr. Spivak had found that  among AHB
not all carry the three genes Dr. Kerr *said* controlled aggression. I have
been told it is rare not to find at least one aggressive gene in a  ahb
sample .

Dr. Spivak in her experiments with AHb in Costa Rica divided her ahb hives
into three groupings based solely on degrees of aggression. You can read all
about her experiments in Dr. Dewey Caron's new book on Africanized bees in
the America's  available from A.I. Root.

I do not know the answer to Barry and Allen's question as to what exactly
does the USDA consider AHB. Hopefully we will hear from the California
testing lab.

Years ago I thought the wing venation was the way to test for AHB (as did
Ruttner). I now consider wing venation primitive as there is no way to tell
the degree of AHB genes.

Some researchers use the word "marker" in place of "degree".

Allen D. and Barry B. have both asked questions I would love to hear those
doing the AHB testing respond to.

Can someone explain exactly what is involved in determining AHB   by testing
for  enzyme hexokinase? The method is talked about vaguely  on pg. 13  of
the Sept. 2002 issue of Bee Culture. The article is "Research reviewed" by
Steve Sheppard.

Bob