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Title / Demonstrate knowledge of American foulbrood (AFB) and its control in the beekeeping industry
Level / 3 / Credits / 6
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to describe: American foulbrood (AFB) in the New Zealand context; the life cycle of AFB and visual symptoms of a brood infected with AFB; the natural progression of AFB in a beehive, and transfer of AFB between beehives; disease inspection and diagnosis of AFB in a bee colony; the management of beehives infected with AFB and infected equipment; and the factors contributing to elimination of AFB in beekeeping operations.
Classification / Agriculture > Apiculture
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1Legislation to includes but is not limited to the – Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, Biosecurity Act 1993, and their subsequent amendments.
2Reference
Goodwin, Mark, Elimination of American Foulbrood Disease Without The Use of Drugs: A Practical Manual for Beekeepers (Otaki, New Zealand: National Beekeepers Association of New Zealand Inc., revised edition 2006) (also referred to as The Beekeeper’s Manual), available from the National Beekeepers Association of NZ (Inc) (NBA) website at or email .
3Definition
Brood – eggs, larvae, and pupae.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe AFB in the New Zealand context.
Evidence requirements
1.1AFB is described in terms of its introduction into New Zealand.
1.2AFB is described in terms of its presence in New Zealand since 1960.
Rangepercentage of beehives reported, frequency distribution, geographic distribution.
Outcome 2
Describe the life cycle of AFB and visual symptoms of a brood infected with AFB.
Evidence requirements
2.1AFB is described in terms of its life cycle from introduction of the bacterium to development of spores.
2.2The diagnosis of AFB is described in terms of the comparison between normal brood development and development of brood infected with AFB.
2.3The presence of AFB is described in terms of the visual symptoms.
Rangeevidence is required for at least six visual symptoms.
Outcome 3
Describe the natural progression of AFB in a beehive, and transfer of AFB between beehives.
Evidence requirements
3.1The natural progression of AFB is described in terms of the types of infection, the time period to develop visual symptoms, and the hygienic behaviour of bees.
Rangediffering scenarios – one directional, disappearance of symptoms, reappearance of symptoms;
contaminated beehives, infected beehives.
3.2AFB is described in terms of how the disease is transferred between beehives, the precautions to be taken for each method of transferral, and the identification of the risk factor associated with each method.
Rangeevidence is required for each of 12 methods;
risk factor – high, low.
Outcome 4
Describe disease inspection and diagnosis of AFB in a bee colony.
Evidence requirements
4.1Inspection for the presence of AFB is described in terms of the procedures and techniques.
Rangevisual – shaking bees from frames, inspecting frames;
field diagnosis – ropiness test, identifying scale.
4.2Inspection for the presence of AFB is described in terms of the differential diagnosis and the symptoms of similar diseases.
Rangesacbrood, chalkbrood, European foulbrood, half moon syndrome.
4.3The diagnosis for presence of AFB is described in terms of procedures for collection and despatch of laboratory samples, and interpretation of laboratory results.
4.4AFB is described in terms of the sources of information available relating to the most current methods of detection.
Rangeevidence is required for at least two sources of information.
Outcome 5
Describe the management of beehives infected with AFB and infected equipment.
Evidence requirements
5.1Management of equipment infected with AFB is described in terms of the frequency of sterilising procedure and agents for sterilising and/or cleaning.
Rangegloves, hivetool, smoker, beehive equipment.
5.2Management of beehives infected with AFB is described in terms of procedures for marking, recording, reporting, closing beehives, and burning bees in the beehive.
5.3Management of beehives infected with AFB and contaminated equipment is described in terms of procedures for storage.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – paraffin wax dipping.
5.4The control of AFB spread is described in terms of management and/or destruction of feral bee colonies.
5.5Reporting the presence of AFB is described in terms of the relevant regulatory authority requirements.
Outcome 6
Describe factors contributing to elimination of AFB in beekeeping operations.
Evidence requirements
6.1Reduction of AFB incidence is described in terms of the frequency and timing of disease inspection practices.
Rangeinspection when honey is removed, percentage of brood frames inspected, shaking bees off frames before inspection.
6.2Reduction of AFB incidence is described in terms of the procedures for, and importance of, quarantine.
Rangehive quarantine, apiary quarantine, area quarantine.
6.3Reduction of the incidence of AFB is described in terms of testing for, and selecting, breeding stock with hygienic behaviour.
Replacement information / This unit standard and unit standard 20257 were replaced by unit standard 30789.This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 22 October 2003 / 31 December 2019
Review / 2 / 21 August 2009 / 31 December 2019
Review / 3 / 14 December 2017 / 31 December 2019
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0052
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Primary Industry Training OrganisationSSB Code 101558 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut