By Renata Borba, Tech Transfer Program Lead, ABC The Alberta Beekeepers Commission recently launched two new service offerings as part of the Technology Transfer Program (TTP). These tailor-made services have been specifically designed to support the needs of commercial beekeepers in Alberta and provide valuable monitoring, testing, and evaluation of pests and pathogens in your...
By the Agriculture and Forestry Bee Health Assurance Team Background European foulbrood (Melissococcus plutonius) is a brood disease of honey bees, with near global distribution. In Alberta, European foulbrood (EFB) is listed as a bee disease under the Alberta Bee Regulation. Typically, symptoms of EFB ariseearly in the season, and spontaneously resolve with a strong...
Part 2 of AMERICAN FOULBROODÂ by Dr. Meghan Milbrath Diagnosis of AFB: Laboratory analysis AFB spores can be characterized through microscopic identification, culture, or molecular techniques. For more information on laboratory diagnosis of AFB, read Diagnosis of American Foulbrood in honey bees: a synthesis and proposed analytical protocols (https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/ download/28123/PDF), and the COLOSS standards for American...
The clustered and warm environment of the honey bee colony provides a favorable condition for growth of many pathogens. As a result, honey bees act as a host for a multitude of pathogens and parasites. Protecting bees from pathogens and disease is an integral component of the hive management, which requires dedication to learning about...