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Detection of small hive beetle: frass as a source of DNA

Current diagnostic techniques for the detection of the small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida are limitedly available and not cost effective. More sensitive pragmatic methods are preferred for early detection. To improve diagnostics, we focused on sampling techniques for SHB frass, as an indicator for SHB presence in a honey bee colony. In this study, we successfully tested a novel approach of employing swab sample collection of frass for real-time PCR detection of SHB.