Sick of testing yourself for COVID? Test your bees instead! To use this AFB test, you simply need to take a larva, shake it up into the bottle, and drop the resulting liquid in the test cassette. The image shows a negative test (one line, not two).

American foulbrood is a serious brood disease. It is spread by spores that can be present in honey and other hive products, and on hive tools and components. AFB is commonly spread by robbing of weakened hives. The DPI recommends that beekeepers check their hives for AFB in October and test them if possible. Please see Bee Aware for more information on AFB.

Information from the manufacturer:

The Vita American foulbrood (AFB) Diagnostic Test Kit enables beekeepers and bee inspectors to test for AFB in honeybee larvae and to obtain the results immediately and easily in the apiary.

Key Facts

• Diagnostic kit works like a home pregnancy test [or a RAT test!]

• Generates immediate results

• Reacts specifically to antibodies associated with the pathogen Paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae which causes AFB in honeybees

How To Use the AFB kit

• Extract a larva showing suspicious symptoms with the spatula.

• Unscrew lid from the Extraction Bottle. Use the spatula to deposit sample in the bottle. Replace the lid and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds. BEWARE – the bottle contains buffer and sodium azide.

• Remove a Test Device from foil pack. WARNING Do not touch viewing window.

• Unscrew lid of Extraction Bottle and use the supplied pipette to remove a sample from the bottle. For best results remove the sample immediately after shaking to prevent bacteria from settling out of suspension.

• Hold the Test Device horizontally and gently squeeze two drops onto the sample well of the device.

• Keep device horizontal until extract is absorbed (c 30 seconds) and a blue dye appears in the viewing window.

• Wait until the control line appears (labelled C) and read the result (c1-3 minutes)

Please see here for detailed instructions.