Hi Maurice -

> All of them have the same African mtDNA, but they all do not have the same
> temperament.

If this is true, than we're left making decisions based on the FABIS system
(http://www.beesource.com/pov/ahb/fabismanual.htm) on what is and isn't an
AHB?  This would indicate a fair amount of subjectivity. After all, it's
their "aggressiveness" that has gotten them the notoriety in this country.
Even Dennis Crutchfield mentions this AHB characterization in his Italians"

"Now if you want some hot one's:) I have some that will stay with you up to
2 hundred yards. Italians, but hot. These didn't come from Texas, but from
Missouri."

I was recently looking through a bunch of test results where the Lusby's had
sent their bees to W. Germany for biometric testing that showed their bees
to be Caucasian/Carnolian with limited Italian influence. In another set of
blind tests in 1987 sent by Dr Loper of the Tucson lab to Baton Rogue for a
blind testing of FABIS for its accuracy, the lab results that came back on
their bees used in the testing were showing probable Africanized with
samples from both the yellow and black caste bees that were tested, and, the
Lusby's had another lab testing for DNA that showed their bees to be like
those in San Diego; small, black and a Caucasian type strain, but yet it
wasn't identified as real Caucasian, just a Caucasian type. What is
Caucasian type? The Lusby's claim native small black bees that they are
seeing. Any research to show that native bees don't exist? I'll be posting
these test results soon.

So I ask again, if identifying AHB is so subjective, what does this say
about how we have chosen to deal with it? Some have taken the approach that
the right way is to eradicate all AHB. That raises the question, can they
all be identified properly first, and then is it even possible to eradicate
them all ..... NO! So why is this practice still going on? If, on the other
hand, the way to successfully deal with this situation is in breeding
(perhaps this is Weavers method), then why is this not made into a major
issue with all the AHB experts and more written on it? To be fair to all,
you can't have it both ways. You can't go in and eradicate one beekeepers
operation because you determine by some means that they are AHB, and then
the next guy gets overlooked because he might be a breeder or not in the
"official" AHB zone.

Regards,
Barry