Bee Diseases
- American Foulbrood, European Foulbrood, Chalkbrood and Nosemosis are notifiable exotic disease is NSW
- For urgent assistance or advice contact the Biosecurity Helpline on 1800 680 244 (option 2).
- Further information in regards to Pests and diseases of honey bees can be found in the latest PrimeFact
Description
Honey bee diseases cause significant losses of bees, bee products and pollination activities. Four of the major diseases contributing to these losses are American foulbrood (AFB), European foulbrood (EFB), nosemosis and chalkbrood. The correct diagnosis of these diseases is important, especially in differentiating AFB from EFB, as each disease requires a different control regime. All four diseases are notifiable in NSW.
AFB caused by Paenibacillus larvae,EFB caused by Melissococcus plutonius and chalkbrood caused by Ascosphaera apis are diseases of honey bee brood (larvae and pupae) whereas nosemosis, caused by the parasitic fungi Nosema apis and/or Nosema ceranae,is a disease of adult bees.
Diagnosis and tests available
Diagnosis
American foulbrood: The diagnosis is strongly supported by clinical signs of disease. AFB can be confirmed by the microscopic examination of diseased larvae in smears for the spores of Paenibacillus larvae. Honey testing for these spores is also a useful means of tracing infection sources to the hives of origin from which positive honey samples were collected.
European foulbrood: The diagnosis of this disease is also strongly supported by clinical signs of disease. EFB can be confirmed by the microscopic examination of diseased larvae in smears for the bacterium Melissococcus plutonius and/or the spores of Paenibacillus alvei a common secondary bacterial invader in cases of EFB.
Chalkbrood (PDF, 225 KB) is the only significant fungal disease of honey bee brood. The diagnosis is strongly supported by clinical signs of disease and can be confirmed by the microscopy of diseased brood.
Nosemosis: The only accurate means of diagnosing nosemosis is the microscopic examination of the gut of infected bees.
Tests available
Test | Sample(s) required | Days of the week test is conducted | Turnaround time1 |
|---|---|---|---|
American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) - microscopy | Larval smear(s) or section of brood comb containing diseased larvae | Monday - Friday | 1-2 days |
Paenibacillus larvae (AFB) culture on honey | Minimum 100 ml (145g) honey | Monday - Friday | 7D |
Nosemosis – microscopy2 | 10-25 adult bees | Monday - Friday | 1-2 days |
| Chalkbrood - clinical signs/microscopy2 | Diseased brood (mummies) | Monday - Friday | 1-2 days |
1 Turnaround times are provided as a guide only. For specific information about your submission please contact Customer Service.This TAT does not include weekends or public holidays.
2 Testing is not NATA accredited
Specimen requirements and further information
How to collect and/or prepare samples
Find details on how to collect/prepare samples (PDF, 318.08 KB).
Larval Smears - for AFB and EFB
| Larval Smears - for AFB and EFB |
|---|
| Prepare smears from larvae showing signs of disease (up to 4 larvae per smear) |
| Air dried smears should be individually wrapped in paper and sent between two hard cardboard sheets held together with tape or an elastic band |
| Do NOT send two smears in contact with each other. |
Diseased brood - for AFB, EFB and Chalkbrood
| Diseased brood - for AFB, EFB and Chalkbrood |
|---|
| Submit an approx. 5 x 10 cm piece of brood comb containing diseased larvae/pupae wrapped in paper towel and packaged in a strong cardboard box. |
| The comb must not contain honey and crushed combs may not be suitable for diagnostic analysis |
| If unable to send the comb on the day of collection, the comb should be refrigerated until being sent |
| Thoroughly clean any tools used to remove the piece of brood comb to avoid spreading disease to other hives |
Honey samples - for AFB ONLY
| Honey samples - for AFB ONLY |
|---|
| Honey samples should only be submitted to trace AFB infections. Submit a minimum of 100 ml of bulk honey, preferably from an extraction of multiple hives. |
| Do NOT scrape honey from individual frames or send honey contaminated with debris. |
| If you own a small number of hives it is best to examine the hives for disease signs rather than submit honey samples. |
Adult bee samples - for Nosemosis
| Adult bee samples - for Nosemosis |
|---|
| Samples for diagnosis should be collected by gathering 10-25 live or freshly dead adult bees from the hive entrance or from the top bars of the frames |
| Young nurse bees on brood combs are unsuitable for examination. |
| Place live bees in a plastic container with some queen candy and forward to the laboratory by the fastest available means |
Submission Form
To submit a specimen for diagnosis please complete the Bee Disease Diagnostics Form
Please Note: These documents are not fully web accessible, please contact Customer Service (laboratory.services@dpi.nsw.gov.au) for more information.
Further information
For further information on managing established bee pests and diseases please see the DPI Honey bees web page and the latest PrimeFact
Customer Service
Contact Customer Service for enquiries relating to testing and results, quotations and pricing, couriers, sample submission and invoicing.
NSW DPI's laboratories are committed to continual improvement of services. If you would like to provide feedback, please fill in and submit the online feedback form.
CONTACT DETAILS | |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1800 675 623 |
| Operating Hours | 8:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday (excluding public holidays) 8:30am-12:00pm Saturday (for deliveries only) |
| Postal Address | Private Bag 4008, Narellan NSW 256 |
Quotations
For Animal export, Plant health or Veterinary quotations, please complete the online quotation request
For Edible oil & oilseed or Feed quality quotations and pricing enquiries, please contact DPI AgEnviro Labs at Wagga Wagga on (02) 6938 1957
For Plant nutrition, Soil health or Water quality quotations and pricing enquiries, please contact DPI AgEnviro Labs at Wollongbar on (02) 6626 1103
Courier services and specimen delivery
For NSW submissions, please contact the relevant Customer Service team for courier account details and to order consignment notes.
For submitters outside of NSW, Couriers can be contacted directly to make bookings and arrange collection of packages at the submitters own cost.
Commercial couriers may use either road or air transport and specimens should therefore be packed in accordance with International Air Transport Association (IATA) requirements. Most submission sent by veterinarians to the SVDL for testing are defined as “Biological Substance Category B” and must be packed according to the IATA packing instructions 650 (Biological Substance Category B). As requirements for transport can change, customers should consult with their transport agent to obtain current requirements.
Samples may also be hand delivered to the site during normal business hours (8.30am - 4.30pm).
Sample Type | Laboratory | Street Address |
|---|---|---|
Animal (including aquatic animals) | NSW Animal and Plant Health Laboratories (APHL) | EMAI, Woodbridge Road, Menangle NSW 2568 |
