1. USDA APHIS National Honey Bee Survey
Rachel Fahey
Faculty Research Specialist and Survey Coordinator
University of Maryland
Presented to Saginaw Valley Beekeepers Association October 2, 2018
Michael G. Hansen, Michigan State Apiarist

2. APHIS National Honey Bee Survey
Monitoring for invasive pests and new pathogens
Tropilaelaps, Apis cerana, and SBPV

3. APHIS National Honey Bee Survey
Monitoring for invasive pests and new pathogens
Tropilaelaps, Apis cerana, and SBPV
After 8 years of the national survey, we have confirmed that SBPV is not present in the US so we have dropped it from our list of viruses.

4. Purpose Distribution and Incidence of Pests and Diseases
Nosema, Varroa, Viruses, Exotic Pests, Pesticides
Free disease diagnostics to the beekeeper
Nation-wide database of disease levels comparable across years

5. History 2009: Pilot survey in 3 states
Test sampling methodology
2010: Limited survey in 13 state
Increased state participation
Data sampled over much of calendar year
2011: National Survey in 34 states
2012: National Survey in 34 states
2013: National Survey in 30 states
Puerto Rico, Guam and Grenada
2014: National Survey in 20 states
Little/no funding for states to survey

6. Presidential Memorandum
June 20, 2014 Presidential Memorandum directed USDA and EPA to co-chair a Pollinator Health Taskforce to take steps to develop new public-private partnerships and increase citizen engagement.
USDA Pollinator Working Group Chaired by Deputy Secretary
White House Strategy to Protect Pollinators
Pollinator Research Action Plan (PRAP)

7. History 2015: 38 states and Puerto Rico.
2016: 39 states, Puerto Rico, and Guam
Sampling >1100 apiaries
Highest participation to date
Highlights the importance that the survey receives funding
2017: 45 states and territories

8. Pests Sampled For Tropilaelaps Apis cerana Varroa
Nosema (not species specific)
Viruses
Lake Sinai virus-2 (LSV-2)
Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV)
Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV)
Deformed wing virus (DWV)
Kashmir bee virus (KBV)
Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV)
Varroa Destructor Virus (VDV-1)

9. Varroa Destructor Virus
Discovered in the US by Dr. Eugene Ryabov working with Dr. Jay Evans at the USDA BRL in Beltsville, MD.
Using RNA sequencing, VDV1 was detected in 66% of National Survey samples in 2016, but detected in only 2.7% of colonies tested in 2010
VDV1 is in the same family of viruses with Deformed Wing Virus (detected in 90% of all colonies)
Evidence of DWV-VDV1 recombinants in the US
More virulent

10. Varroa Destructor Virus
Published December 12, 2017 in Nature Scientific Reports
VDV1 has been added to the list of viruses for the National Honey Bee Survey.
We also plan to go back and run our archived samples from to track how the virus spread

11. Wax Sampling
Total # of pesticide residues in wax shown* to be a better predictor of colony mortality and queen events (a predictor of imminent colony mortality)
A small section of wax is cut out from a brood frame
Sent to USDA AMS Lab in NC
*Traynor, K. S. et al. In-hive Pesticide Exposome: Assessing risks to migratory honey bees from in-hive pesticide contamination in the Eastern United States. Sci. Rep. 6, 33207; doi: /srep33207 (2016).

12. Average Varroa Load
90% of all samples taken had Varroa

13. Average Varroa Load

14. Average Varroa Load

15. Average Nosema Load
About 45% of all samples had Nosema detected. Red line=Economic threshold for Nosema is 1 million spores per bee

16. Viral Analysis
Added VDV in 2016

17. Viral Heat Map – now live!
2017 Prevalence of VDV1 Virus

18. Pesticide Analysis

19. Pesticide Analysis

20. Pesticide Results
Most prevalent pesticides are varroacides:
Amitraz metabolite Dimethylphenyl (detected in 46.4% of samples)
Apistan active ingredient Fluvalinate (detected in 37.9% of samples)
CheckMite active ingredient Coumaphos (detected in 31.8% of samples)
Apiguard active ingredient Thymol (detected in 21.4% of samples)
INSECTICIDE: Chlorpyrifos (detected in 16.3% of samples)
191 samples had no pesticides detected (17.8% of all samples)
Chlorpyrifos is a pesticide used to kill a number of pests including insects and worms. The crops with the most use are cotton, corn, almonds, and fruit trees including oranges, bananas and apples. Chlorpyrifos is very toxic to bees. It can poison non-target insects for up to 24 hours after it is sprayed. 

21. Explore the data! All of this information is also available online!
Go to: bip2.beeinformed.org
State Reports

22. Acknowledgements Robyn Rose, APHIS
USDA ARS Honey Bee Lab in Beltsville, MD
University of Maryland Honey Bee Lab

23. Helpful Web sites
Extension Org: GAAMPS (Michigan) Project ApisM Bee Informed Partnership: Mid Atlantic Apiculture Resource and Extension Consortium: American Beekeeping Federation: American Honey Producers: Apiary Inspectors of America: American Association of Professional Apiculturists Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists USDA ARS programs: CCD: Penn State Center for Pollinator Research: MSU,

24. How to submit a sample to USDA
Submission of Samples for Diagnosis:
General Instructions
••Beekeepers, bee businesses, and regulatory officials may submit samples.
••Samples are accepted from the United States and its territories; samples are NOT accepted from other countries.
••Include a short description of the problem along with your name, address, phone number or address.
••There is no charge for this service.
••For additional information, contact Sam Abban by phone at (301) or
How to Send Adult Honey Bees
••         Send at least 100 bees and if possible, select bees that are dying or that died recently. Decayed bees are not satisfactory for examination.
••         Bees should be placed in and soaked with 70% ethyl, methyl, or isopropyl alcohol as soon as possible after collection and packed in leak-proof containers.
••         USPS, UPS, and FedEx do no accept shipments containing alcohol. Just prior to mailing samples, pour off all excess alcohol to meet shipping requirements.
••         Do NOT send bees dry (without alcohol).
How to send brood samples
••A comb sample should be at least 2 x 2 inches and contain as much of the dead or discolored brood as possible. NO HONEY SHOULD BE PRESENT IN THE SAMPLE.
••The comb can be sent in a paper bag or loosely wrapped in a paper towel, newspaper, etc. and sent in a heavy cardboard box. AVOID wrappings such as plastic, aluminum foil, waxed paper, tin, glass, etc. because they promote decomposition and the growth of mold.
••If a comb cannot be sent, the probe used to examine a diseased larva in the cell may contain enough material for tests. The probe can be wrapped in paper and sent to the laboratory in an envelope.
Send samples to:
Bee Disease Diagnosis Bee Research Laboratory
10300 Baltimore Ave. BARC-East Bldg. 306 Room 316
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center - East
Beltsville, MD 20705

25. Contact for apiary questions
Michael Hansen, State Apiarist
717 St Joseph Drive # 186
Saint Joseph, MI 49085
Lansing office
Food and Dairy Division: Honey labeling, Processing, Honey House, Cottage Food