I am curious to know the extent to which beekeepers in other countries do Nosema spore counts for management purposes. Of course, I am familiar with Randy Oliver’s  spore count protocol on his website (Sick Bees – Part 13: Simple Microscopy of Nosema for beekeepers). I am also familiar with protocols published by the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association Tech Transfer team, University of Florida IFAS Extension, Reuter, et al.  at the University of Minnesota, Hornitzky (NWS Australia), the Laboratoire de Sophia Antipoli (France), and a couple of others.  You can find brief protocol descriptions in the peer review scientific literature as well, e.g.,  Pohorecka, et al. 2018. “The Spring Assessment of Nosema Spp. Infection in Honey Bee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) - Sampling as an Important Aspect of a Reliable Diagnosis.” J. Apic. Sci. 62(1). G.E. Cantwell’s 1970 “Standard methods for counting Nosema spores” (American Bee Journal, 110) appears to be the foundational methods statement re. Nosema spore counts. 

Nonetheless, none of the above provides a clear sense of management practices internationally with respect to Nosema diagnosis and spore counting protocols.  To what extent do beekeepers in Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere do spore counts as part of their Nosema management practices?  What are their protocols? 

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