Sampling bees for residue testing

Agriculture Victoria regulates agricultural and veterinary chemical use in Victoria. We can investigate instances of suspected bee poisoning.

Suspected bee poisoning

The first and most important thing to do is collect a sample of the bees.

If you suspect bee poisoning, contact Agriculture Victoria immediately on 136 186. Dead bees can desiccate (dry out) quickly during summer. This will affect chemical residue testing, so it is very important to collect samples as soon as possible.

Sampling

There are 3 different types of samples that can be taken:

• Dead bees from outside the hive
• Dead bees and comb from inside the hive
• A swab sample from the outside of the hive

Whenever possible, collect samples using clean tweezers and/or gloves. If possible, sterilise equipment (such as tweezers, hive tools, knives for cutting out comb) before use.

Use a clean, unused and closable container or a clean, unused ziplock bag when collecting your sample.

Freeze samples as soon as possible. This prevents chemical residues from breaking down.

If a freezer is unavailable, the sample should be placed on ice (i.e., in an insulated container with ice packs) and then transported to a freezer as soon as possible.

Samples of dead bees are preferred for a suspected poisoning. The 2 other sampling methods described here are included for completeness but are more difficult and more likely to be collected by an authorised officer if required for the investigation.

Dead bees from outside the hive

This is the most common and preferred sample type.

Samples of dead bees should be as close to 300 bees as possible (enough to fill a 100 mL cup).

Once collected, the sample should go into a clean, unused closable container, ideally plastic or glass. Then store it in a freezer.

Ideally, the bees being sampled should be part of the largest group that appear to have been poisoned and not taken from ‘here and there’. This ensures the sample is the most representative of what has happened to the hive.

Comb samples from inside the hive

The sampled comb should be at least 10 cm x 10 cm in size. Place it in a clean, unused and closable container, ideally plastic or glass. Store it in a freezer.

Swab samples from the outside of the hive

Use a clean tissue or cotton ball to take swab samples. The area should be about 20 cm x 20 cm on the side of the hive that may have been in contact with the chemical.

Store the sample in a clean, unused and closable container, ideally plastic or glass. Then put it in a freezer.

Notes and photos

It is also important to make as many notes as you can about observations you might have made:

• How many hives are affected?
• When did you observe the symptoms (date and time if possible)?
• What do you suspect might be the cause?
• Was any spraying occurring in the immediate area? Do you think you know who was responsible?
• Have you spoken to this person? And if so, what was their response?

It is also a good idea to take photos of the bees and hives. This will help authorised officers understand the situation in the area.

Next steps

Agriculture Victoria operates under the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Act 1992 (the ‘AgVet Act’). The AgVet Act states that it is an offence to undertake agricultural spraying that:

• injures any plants of economic value, or stock outside the target area
• injures any land outside the target area so that growing plants or keeping stock on the land may result in contamination of any produce derived from the stock or plants, or the stock themselves
• contaminates any stock outside the target area
• is likely to contaminate any agricultural produce derived from plants or stock outside the target area.

These laws aim to protect primary producers from inappropriate chemical use. They also enhance Victoria’s reputation as a producer of clean, fresh produce.

It is also an offence under the AgVet Act for a person to use chemical in contravention of prohibitive label statements (i.e., ‘DO NOT’ statements). Many agricultural chemicals, particularly insecticides, contain statements under the ‘Protection of livestock’ section of the label that relate to bees.

The guidelines provide information necessary to allow you to take a representative sample. Samples are best analysed by a National Association for Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited laboratory. This provides confidence that the results are a true indication of the residue status of the sample and ensures that decisions are based on accurate information.

References

Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) (2012): Honeybee Pesticide Poisoning – A risk management tool for Australian farmers and beekeepers. This booklet is available from AgriFutures Australia

More information

For more information relating to pesticides and bees visit our pages, Living in harmony: pesticides and bees and Pesticides and honey bee poisoning or email authorised officers at chemical.standards@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

To locate an accredited laboratory, visit the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) website or contact the Melbourne office on 1800 621 666.