Lab procedures

Step-by-step guides for sample collection and field tests that complement Apisense colony monitoring. Results from these procedures are reported back into the Apisense app and feed into the colony health view.

Available procedures

• Nosema/Vairimorpha microscopy — detect and count Nosema spp. spores under a 400× microscope. Sample: 25 worker bees.
• Varroa sugar roll test — non-lethal Varroa destructor count using powdered sugar. Sample: ~300 bees, returned to the colony after the test.

When to perform these tests

For every colony equipped with Apisense VitalSensors, run these tests three times per season:

1. Test 1 — ±7 days after VitalSensor installation. Baseline reading once monitoring is live.
2. Test 2 — 2 months after the first test. Mid-season check during the active period.
3. Test 3 — before wintering.*

* In countries without a distinct wintering period, the third test date is set individually.

In every scheduled test (Test 1, 2 and 3) the Varroa sugar roll is mandatory — you run it always, for every monitored colony, regardless of the time of season, sensor readings or the absence of visible Varroa symptoms. Alongside it you also run Nosema/Vairimorpha microscopy every time — i.e. the full set of both procedures. Microscopy can additionally be run outside the schedule when Nosema infection is suspected (dripping feces, weakened colony with no other obvious cause).

Each procedure ends with a list of fields to report in the Apisense app so results can be tracked over time and across hives.