Dr. Carlos Castillo (Applied Scientist Manager, NBDC-TAC) presented the story behind the establishment of the National Bee Diagnostic Centre in Beaverlodge, and why the Peace Country is the perfect place for this Centre. He described their accomplishments during the first year in operations, including the grant from NSERC to become a Technology Access Centre for the beekeeping industry. The highlights included the first Honey bee Diagnostic Course held during the summer 2013, and the vision of the NBDC-TAC to become a reference lab in the world map of bee research and diagnostics

1. National Bee Diagnostic Centre
The Technology Access Centre for the
Beekeeping industry in Canada
Grande Prairie Regional College
May 22nd, 2014

2. Beekeeping

3. 0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
45000
50000
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
NumberofBeekeepers
NumberofColonies(1,000s)
Year
Consolidation in the Canadian Bee Industry
Colonies
BeekeepersStatistics Canada

4. World Production of Honey
Half of the Canadian honey crops is exported

5. 0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NS PEI NL
Honey Bee Colonies in Canada
• 40% in Alberta
• 70% in The Prairies
• 80:20 commercial: hobbyist
• 80% of honey crop
• Average 2,000 colonies
• 80,000 colonies - Canola seed
• Average 600 colonies
• 300,000 colonies - Canola
• 35,000 colonies - blueberry
• 15,000 colonies - apple

6. Bulk Honey Price per Pound
$0.80
$0.94 $0.98
$1.35
$1.42
$1.53
$1.61
$1.90
$2.10
$0.00
$0.50
$1.00
$1.50
$2.00
$2.50
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
US$/Lb
• Tight market in last 7 to 8 years
• Price more than double in the last 7 years
• Decrease in productivity

7. 7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Average Highest Lowest
Wintering Honey Bee Colony Losses in Canada
Source: CAPA - Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturist
Percentage(%)

8. Honey bee diagnostic services in Canada
2012
Comprehensive service
Limited service

9. Alberta produces
44% of the
Canadian honey
Peace Country
leads Alberta’s
honey production
… and has the
largest operations
40.5 million pounds
Bee Industry in the Peace Country
Canada:
$170 million in hive products
$2.3 billion added value to the
agricultureFahler, AB

10. Dr. Stephen Pernal

11. Commercial Beekeeping Certificate
Program
GPRC - Fairview Campus

12. Commercial Beekeeping Certificate
Program
Training for the Next Generation of Beekeepers

13. 13
The National Bee Diagnostic Centre
NBDC
Beaverlodge, AB

14. NBDC Laboratory
14

15. 15
Diagnostic Services
Microscopy Microbiology Molecular biology
PCR-based
Viruses: CBPV, DWV,
IAPV, ABPV, BCQV,
SBV, KBV
Nosema, AFB, EFB
AFB, EFBNosema, Varroa mite,
tracheal mite
The NBDC is the first comprehensive laboratory in Canada to provide a
full array of diagnostic services dedicated for bee pathogens.

16. Bacteria: EFB: European Foulbrood (Melissococcus plutonius)
AFB: American Foulbrood (Paenibacillus larvae)
16
Diagnostic Services
Fungus: Chalkbrood (Ascopshaera apis)
Brood diseases

17. Microsporidia: Nosema apis
Nosema ceranae
17
Diagnostic Services
Nosema apis – 321bp
Nosema ceranae – 218bp
RpS5 Bee Housekeeping gene – 115bp

18. Mites: Varroa mite (Varroa destructor)
18
Diagnostic Services

19. Viruses: DWV: Deformed Wing Virus
SBV: Sacbrood Virus
CBPV: Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus
ABPV: Acute Bee Paralysis Virus
KBV: Kashmir Bee Virus
IAPV: Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus
BQCV: Black Queen Cell Virus
19
SBV
DWVCBPV
Diagnostic Services

20. • Small hive beetle • Tropilaelaps
20
• Africanized bee
Other specialized services
• Vespa velutina

21. Honey bee samples received NBDC
√

22. Diagnostic Services
112
30
183
104
3
138 141 139 138 134 138 134
69
31
19
66
14
3
36
49
56
4
39
10
103
5
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
AFB VM Nos EFB CHB KBV IAPV DWV CBPV BQCV ABPV SBV TM
Incidence
Number of samples analyzed Positive samples analyzed
% 28 63 36 13 100 26 34 40 3 39 7 77 7
81
3
612
80
121
15
45
58
0 200 400 600 800
AFB
Chalkbrood
Viruses
EFB
Nosema Count
Nosema Identification
Tracheal mite
Varroa count
1,463 tests

23. Diagnostics
Customers
Beekeepers
Researchers
Industry
Agency
Applied
Research
Innovation
Training &
Outreach
2013

24. 24
1st Honey Bee Diagnostic Course
Presentations, Training & Outreach
Summer Students, Public, School

25. Applied Research
Currently, we have two applied research projects in the Peace Country.
In collaboration of GPRC faculties:
• Eric Stromgren, MSc
Instructor – Commercial Beekeeping
Certificate Program
• Shauna Henley, PhD
Instructor – Faculty of Science

26. Evaluation of Honey Bee Queen Imports
in the Peace Country
In 2012, Canada imports of bees were
$3.87 million:
United States - $3.4 million
Australia - $0.26 million
New Zealand - $0.15 million
Chile - $0.05 million
197,841 queens
Alberta imported >57%

27. BC
Dawson Creek
Fort St. John
Fairview
Fahler
High Prairie
Fort Vermillion
High Level
Peace River
Manning
Valleyview
Whitecourt
Hinton
Grand Cache
Identification and quantification of viruses
affecting honey bees in the Peace Country
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
BQCV DWV KBV IAPV SBV ABPV
Apiary 1
Apiary 2
Apiary 3
Apiary 4
Apiary 5
Apiary 6
Apiary 7
Apiary 8
Apiary 9
Apiary 10
Incidence(%)
Viruses

28. CRI Innovation Services
Bob Hall
Innovation Services help SMEs
(Beekeepers) with the
development of products,
services & ventures to the
marketplace.

29. National Bee Diagnostic Centre
NBDC - TACThe vision
AB
29

30. Long Term Vision
Making a worthwhile contribution
Gribbles Veterinary Pathology et al
National Bee Unit
UB-CIDEFI
Anses Sophia Antipolis
Honeybee Science
Research Centre
ARC-Plant Protection
Research Institute
Beltsville MD
NBDC

31. Supported by:
“A state-of-the-art laboratory offering
comprehensive diagnostic services to the
Canadian beekeeping industry and the bee
research community”