The Bee Research Laboratory at UMBC offers disease diagnostic services for stakeholders. Below is an overview of services, what type of samples we can receive, how to send samples and costs. Please read through as most questions are answered on this page. Additional questions and additional services can be answered by contacting Dr. Zac Lamas.
Honey bee diagnostic services
We currently offer a standard screening of nine honey bee viruses using real-time quantitative PCR (rtqPCR). Additional panels can be made upon request.
Viruses screened include: acute bee paralysis virus, deformed wing virus (A), deformed wing virus (B), black queen cell virus, chronic bee paralysis virus, Kashmir bee virus, Israeli acute bee paralysis virus, and sac brood virus.
Current sample types accepted
- Adult worker bees (bulk or individual)
- Live
- Preserved on dry ice
- Freshly preserved on freezer packs
- Freshly perished bees
- Adult queens
- Live
- Preserved on dry ice
Other types of samples accepted
We will accept brood, wax and mite (Varroa) samples upon special request. Due to unique extraction processes needed for these samples additional fees may apply. Please contact directly to make sure the UMBC Bee Research Laboratory can meet your needs.
When to send samples
Samples lost in transit will degrade quickly, and result in compromised analysis or complete degradation of your sample. To ensure this does not happen, follow the guidelines below.
Directly inform the lab by emailing Dr. Zac Lamas before samples are being shipped, and when. Please ensure that the lab’s contact information is shared with the carrier. Always share the tracking number with the lab directly.
Samples must be sent Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday via overnight mail to ensure delivery at UMBC. Samples can be shipped directly to <insert address> via <insert carrier>. Samples shipped on Thursday run the risk of being held over the weekend if they are delayed in transit by your carrier. Do not ship samples on Friday.
Dry ice: It is the responsibility of the sender to ensure all carrier requirements for dry ice are met. Failure to do so will result in packages withheld in transit.
Live bees: It is the responsibility of the send to ensure all carrier requirements for live bees are met.
Sample fees
As a core facility at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, we are not allowed to make a profit. Sample fees cover the cost of reagents, consumables, labor, and modestly cover machinery-overhead costs. Fees will be reviewed and updated on a 12 month period to ensure agreement with core facility requirements. Please note, fees listed below are current through 2026. We are able to offer affordable services when we process a minimum of 8 samples at a time. Smaller sample requests will be stored in our ultra-low freezer at -80C and then run as a batch with other samples if the minimum sample number is not met. Rushed and singular bee samples can be processed for an additional fee. Please contact Dr. Zac Lamas directly.
Full panel viral screening of adult bee samples (bulk adult or individual adult bees)
$43 per sample (minimum of 8 samples needed for this price)
Special services
Brood, specific bee tissues, mites, and wax all have unique extraction processes which increase the labor and cost of analysis. These materials can be analyzed, but contact for specific pricing.
cDNA storage
cDNA will be stored for six months after sample preparation. After which time cDNA will be handled as biological waste and disposed of. You can request your cDNA to be returned for the cost of shipping.