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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.
Subfield
Agriculture
Domain
Apiculture
Status
Registered
Status date
21 August 2009
Date version published
21 August 2009
Planned review date
31 December 2014
Entry information
Open.
Accreditation
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA, industry
and teaching professional in the same field from another
provider.
Standard setting body (SSB)
Primary Industry Training Organisation
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference
0052
This AMAP can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Special notes
1
Legislation to includes but is not limited to the – Health and Safety in Employment
Act 1992, Biosecurity Act 1993, and their subsequent amendments.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
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2
Reference
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 http://www.nba.org.nz, or email secretary@nba.org.nz.
3
Definition
Brood – eggs, larvae, and pupae.
Elements and performance criteria
Element 1
Describe AFB in the New Zealand context.
Performance criteria
1.1
AFB is described in terms of its introduction into New Zealand.
1.2
AFB is described in terms of its presence in New Zealand since 1960.
Range
percentage of beehives reported, frequency distribution,
geographic distribution.
Element 2
Describe the life cycle of AFB and visual symptoms of a brood infected with AFB.
Performance criteria
2.1
AFB is described in terms of its life cycle from introduction of the bacterium to
development of spores.
2.2
The diagnosis of AFB is described in terms of the comparison between normal
brood development and development of brood infected with AFB.
2.3
The presence of AFB is described in terms of the visual symptoms.
Range
evidence is required for at least six visual symptoms.
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Element 3
Describe the natural progression of AFB in a beehive, and transfer of AFB between
beehives.
Performance criteria
3.1
The 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.
Range
3.2
differing scenarios – one directional, disappearance of symptoms,
reappearance of symptoms;
contaminated beehives, infected beehives.
AFB 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.
Range
evidence is required for each of 12 methods;
risk factor – high, low.
Element 4
Describe disease inspection and diagnosis of AFB in a bee colony.
Performance criteria
4.1
Inspection for the presence of AFB is described in terms of the procedures and
techniques.
Range
4.2
visual – shaking bees from frames, inspecting frames;
field diagnosis – ropiness test, identifying scale.
Inspection for the presence of AFB is described in terms of the differential
diagnosis and the symptoms of similar diseases.
Range
sacbrood, chalkbrood, European foulbrood, half moon syndrome.
4.3
The diagnosis for presence of AFB is described in terms of procedures for
collection and despatch of laboratory samples, and interpretation of laboratory
results.
4.4
AFB is described in terms of the sources of information available relating to the
most current methods of detection.
Range
evidence is required for at least two sources of information.
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Element 5
Describe the management of beehives infected with AFB and infected equipment.
Performance criteria
5.1
Management of equipment infected with AFB is described in terms of the
frequency of sterilising procedure and agents for sterilising and/or cleaning.
Range
gloves, hivetool, smoker, beehive equipment.
5.2
Management of beehives infected with AFB is described in terms of procedures
for marking, recording, reporting, closing beehives, and burning bees in the
beehive.
5.3
Management of beehives infected with AFB and contaminated equipment is
described in terms of procedures for storage.
Range
includes but is not limited to – paraffin wax dipping.
5.4
The control of AFB spread is described in terms of management and/or
destruction of feral bee colonies.
5.5
Reporting the presence of AFB is described in terms of the relevant regulatory
authority requirements.
Element 6
Describe factors contributing to elimination of AFB in beekeeping operations.
Performance criteria
6.1
Reduction of AFB incidence is described in terms of the frequency and timing of
disease inspection practices.
Range
6.2
Reduction of AFB incidence is described in terms of the procedures for, and
importance of, quarantine.
Range
6.3
inspection when honey is removed, percentage of brood frames
inspected, shaking bees off frames before inspection.
hive quarantine, apiary quarantine, area quarantine.
Reduction of the incidence of AFB is described in terms of testing for, and
selecting, breeding stock with hygienic behaviour.
Please note
Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated
authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against
unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
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Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register
credits from assessment against unit standards.
Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards
must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this
standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The
AMAP 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.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the Primary Industry Training Organisation standards@primaryito.ac.nz if
you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016