OC Bee Team Now Offers Lab Services!
Nosema is a microsporidian parasite that impacts the health of honey bees. There are two known types of Nosema that impact honey bees, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, which is more prevalent. The OC Bee Team does not determine which species of Nosema is in your sample.
The OC Bee Team uses the microscopy method to analyze Nosema samples. The protocol we use has been around for decades and is the industry standard.
The threshold of 1 million spores per bee was established when Nosema apis was the dominant species. The industry may benefit from more research to determine a new threshold for Nosema ceranae. However, the current protocol uses 100 bees and the results are given in an average spore count per bee (millions of spores per bee).
Sample Collection Protocol
What you’ll need to collect your sample(s):
- Two 8oz/250ml glass containers with screw caps, i.e. mason jar or other glass container.
- 70% Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
- Measuring cup (1/4 cup)
- Small sieve/strainer
- Plastic tub, approximately 9×11 inches
- Zip-top plastic bags:
- sandwich size for each individual colony sample
- gallon size to place all individual samples into
How to collect your sample(s):
Collecting a sample of bees to test for Nosema is similar to collecting bees when testing for Varroa.
- Fill the glass jar 2/3rds full of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.
- Collect a sample of your bees, (sample middle aged bees. Do not sample the entrance.)
- For best results collect bees from a frame containing all stages of brood (eggs, larvae and capped brood).
- Collect 100 (¼ cup) adult worker bees. Be mindful of your queen’s location, make sure she is not in the sample!
- Pour the bees into the mason jar filled with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, screw the lid onto the container, swirl the jar around for a few seconds to make sure the bees are dispatched quickly and humanely.
- Remove lid from the jar and drain extra isopropyl alcohol from collection container into another container using the sieve. Isopropyl alcohol can be reused.
- Place the bees into a sandwich size zip-top plastic bag.
Each sample taken from a different colony needs to be placed in a separate sandwich size zip-top plastic bag.
Identifying your sample(s):
- Label ALL individual zip-top bag samples with:
- Your name
- Email address
- Collection date
- Colony ID (name or number of hive, etc.)
- Place all individual samples into a one gallon zip-top bag.
- Label “For OC Bee Team”
- Place sample bags of processed bees into the freezer until they can be brought to the OC Bee Team.
Drop off Location:
South Coast Research and Extension Center (SCREC) – Main Office
7601 Irvine Boulevard
Irvine, CA 92618
Sample Drop Off Times: Tuesdays 8am-12pm
Cost: $10 cash donation (per each 100-bee sample in a sandwich-sized bag) placed in the one-gallon zip-top bag.
Results will be emailed.
You will receive a report with the following:
- Colony number or yard name
- Average number of Nosema spores per bee (millions of spores)
- Solution & treatment recommendations