This short course, at National Diploma in Beekeeping (NDB) level, exploring the diseases AFB, EFB, Chalkbrood, Sacbrood, and the various brood disorders.

• To explore the field and laboratory diagnosis procedures for common brood diseases and disorders
• To practice the use of compound microscopes in the diagnosis of brood diseases
• To consider ways in which timely and accurate diagnosis of brood diseases may inform our treatmentdecisions and management practices within the apiary
• To discuss the legislation pertaining to brood diseases, and how best to control an outbreak of notifiable disease
• Additionally, the aim of this narrowly-focussed but in-depth study is to illustrate the NDB approach, albeit on a small
  part of an extensive syllabus.
• To stimulate a desire in students to learn more, to aspire to improve their beekeeping and to become experts, able to pass on their enthusiasm and expert knowledge.

Objectives (Learning outcomes)

• To describe and identify healthy brood
• To understand and recognise the conditions caused by brood diseases and disorders
• To understand the nature, lifecycle, naming, and spread of the causative organism of each disease
• To be familiar with available field diagnostic techniques
• To be able to perform a brood disease inspection of a colony
• To be able to set up a compound microscope to perform disease diagnosis
• To prepare and mount samples for diagnosis under a microscope
• To correctly diagnose AFB and EFB using both LFD and microscope
• To understand the legislation and procedures pertaining to foulbrood outbreaks
• To understand the treatment options available for each disease
• To understand the inspection and information services available from the NBU
• To appreciate the brood disease information available on Beebase
• To have an appreciation of the NDB qualification and its relationship to the examinations modules of the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA)

The course will be limited to no more than 10 – 12 students at a time. This classroom-based course is intended to provide tutors with sufficient information and skills regarding the recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of adult bee diseases to pass on to their own students.