Products being tested at Beaverlodge Research Farm for nosema control:

- Fumagillin was effective at suppressing a North American strain of N.
ceranae in cage bee trials.

- Thymol and Albendenazole were not effective against either nosema species
in cage bee trials.

- A large fall field trial was conducted in 2007 in a non-temperate location
in the US.  Several experimental treatments were evaluated including various
dosages and application techniques of fuamgillin, thymol, albendazole and
VitaGold.  A late season nectar flow and climate-related effects were found
to suppress natural N. ceranae spore levels in all colonies, including the
untreated controls, precluding statistical separation of treatment effects.  

Nevertheless, greatest suppression of nosema spore levels was seen with
fumagillin treatments.

- Our research is ongoing and will focus on developing effective management
and treatment techniques for N. ceranae (including the possibility of spring
and fall treatments), sampling for fumagillin residues in honey, and further
evaluating experimental compounds for nosema control.

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