Provide support for honeybee surveys and sampling in 41 states as part of the national honey BEE survey, documenting which diseases, parasites and pests of honey bees are and are not present in the…

The State of Washington Department of Agriculture (WSDA) received a $232,690 Cooperative Agreement from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025), effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. WSDA will provide diagnostic laboratory services supporting the National Honey Bee Survey by receiving and testing live bee shipments from apiary inspectors across up to 20 U.S. states and territories. The organization will conduct molecular testing on bee samples to identify diseases, parasites, and pests of honey bees using standardized methods, with particular focus on pathogens specified in the 2025 Pest Target List, and will report all test results to the University of Maryland Survey Coordinator on a timely basis.

This cooperative agreement supports the national surveillance effort to document the presence and absence of honey bee health threats across 41 states, contributing to APHIS's broader mission to protect U.S. agriculture from economically injurious pests and diseases. By leveraging WSDA's diagnostic laboratory capabilities and established relationships with state apiary inspectors, the award enables comprehensive monitoring of honeybee pest and disease status critical to regional and national agricultural food supply security.

Provide support for honeybee surveys and sampling in 41 states as part of the national honey BEE survey, documenting which diseases, parasites and pests of honey bees are and are not present in the U.S. Washington stated department of agriculture (WSDA) will receive live BEE shipments from apiary inspectors from up to 20 U.S. States/ territories and will conduct diagnostic testing for each pest requiring molecular methods under the 2025 pest target list. WSDA will conduct all molecular testing following the methods used in past honeybee surveys and described by traynor ET AL, 2016. WSDA will report all test results to the UMD survey coordinator in a timely manner.