Instructions for preparing and sending samples

Each sample must be univocally identified by means of an abbreviation, code or description.

The samples must be prepared in conditions such as to assure their integrity is preserved. Specifically, honey samples should be placed in clean, hermetically sealed jars. Materials should also be carefully packed.

For microbiological and sensory analyses of honey, it is preferable for the laboratory to receive specifically prepared samples, distinct from those to be submitted to other tests. If samples are to undergo sensory analysis, they should not be placed in plastic containers or containers previously used for other substances.

To ensure that the sample quantity is sufficient for carrying out the tests requested as well as any repeat tests that may be necessary, you are advised to send a minimum sample quantity as specified below, which will satisfy the requirements in most cases:

Honey 250 g
Beeswax * 25 g
Royal jelly 15 g
Pollen 15 g
No. of bees for pesticide residue testing 250
No. of bees for biometrical analysis 50
No. of bees for parasitological analysis 50

* where beeswax is to be extracted from honeycomb, at least ¼ of the latter must be provided.

Any departures from the above-indicated quantities must be agreed on in advance with the Laboratory.

Samples to be submitted to diagnostic testing for disease
For tests on adult bees, each sample must comprise around fifty bees per hive, collected still alive or freshly dead. In the case of live bees, preferably chosen among those manifesting evident signs of abnormality, you may use, for example, normal cages used to transport queen bees. Dead bees may also be sent in cardboard boxes. In the case of broods, the sample to be sent for diagnostic testing is a honeycomb or at least one quarter of a honeycomb: you should select the most suspect portion and one that contains, where possible, many larvae at all stages of development. Honeycombs should be suitably packed in cardboard boxes or with durable paper wrappings: avoid unsuitable containers such as plastic bags or glass jars, which are conducive to the formation of mould and cause rapid deterioration.

Each sample should be marked so as to permit identification of the beehive.

Samples to be submitted to biometric analysis
Morphometric tests on the population of a beehive require a sample of approximately fifty young bees, to be collected from the central part of the nest. It is preferable for the bees to be delivered live to the laboratory, using suitable containers such as the cages normally used to transport queen bees. Otherwise the samples may be preserved in ethyl alcohol.