Abstract:
The project, coordinated and harmonised by the EU Reference Laboratory for honeybee health (Anses, France), produces comparable data on the mortality of honeybee colonies and the prevalence of diseases in honeybees in participating Member States. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry funding for the national reference laboratory covers the diagnostics of honeybee diseases and the development of reference laboratory operations in Finland on a broader scale than the EU project. This facilitates the analysis of samples taken for the EU project with respect to more key diseases than EU funding alone would allow.
Material:
In the 2012 - 2013 productive season, a sample study was conducted in apiaries in Åland, Jokioinen, Seinäjoki, Kitee and Kajaani, involving a total of 800 colonies in 161 apiaries. Correspondingly, in the 2013 - 2014 productive season, apiaries in Åland, Salo, Harjavalta, Kuopio and Oulu will be studied. The same colonies will be studied three times: in July - August before wintering, in spring after wintering and in summer during the honey production season.
Methods:
The health and condition of colonies will be examined, and bee samples will be taken from all colonies during the July-August visit for a Varroa count and virus studies. Disease samples will be taken from symptomatic colonies. Other field visits will involve the clinical inspection of colonies and samples will only be taken if diseases are suspected.
The diseases to be examined for all samples include: Varroa destructor (mite count), the Small hive beetle Aethina tumida and theTropilaelaps mite, the Deformed Wing Virus DWV, the Acute bee paralysis virus ABPV, the Chronic bee paralysis virus CBPV, the Kashmir Bee Virus, the Black queen cell virus and the Sacbrood virus. In the spring, the colonies will be examined for Nosema, and any positive samples will be analysed in order to identify N. apis or N. cerenae. In addition, all colonies will be tested for the causal agent of American foulbrood Paenibacillus larvae. The distribution of the tracheal mite Acarapis will be analysed. The pathogens affecting infected colonies will be identified.
Aims:
To gain comparable data on honey bee colony mortality and the causes thereof in the EU, to examine the occurrence of key honeybee diseases, and the infestation of the mite Varroa destructor in particular, and the frequency of the related viral infections. To develop the diagnostics of honeybee diseases and reference laboratory operations in Finland.
Keywords:
honeybee diseases, colony mortality
Responsible project leader:
Pelkonen, Sinikka, Professori, Evira, Veterinary Bacteriology Research Unit
Person at Evira responsible for the project:
Heinikainen, Sirpa, Researcher, Veterinary Bacteriology Research Unit
In cooperation with:
Finnish Beekeepers Association
Project status:
Previous
Year of commencement:
2012
Year of completion:
2016
Project is financed by:
European Union;
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (1042/311/2012)
Evira project code:
8247 and 8430 EU project;
8349-national Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry project