Testing Honey

[Barry]

What's the contact info for having one's honey tested at Penn State?

[sqkcrk]

What's the contact info for having one's honey tested at Penn State?

Hmm. Good question. I'll try to find Maryanne Fraziers' contact info and ask her. Unless Dean has that answer handy. ?

[deknow]

I'm not sure if this is on topic or not, but I figure if Barry is asking.....

There are no more cost sharing funds, the testing costs $284 a sample (!)

This is What Maryann sent me:



Instructions for submitting samples for Pesticide Analysis of Honey Bee Colony Matrices (honey, wax, pollen, bees, brood, etc.)

The following matrices can be submitted for pesticide analysis:

Honey and nectar

Pollen (trapped pollen or bee bread)

Brood

Adult bees

Wax

Following these steps to collect, prepare and ship samples for analysis:

1) Collect samples

• Honey and/or nectar should consist of 2 ounces.

• Pollen collected from pollen traps should consist of 2 ounces. Bee bread samples collected from within the hive should consist of pollen randomly collected from 30 cells.

• Wax comb, foundation, or samples from blocks should consist of 2 ounces.

• Adult bees and/or brood (dead or alive) should consist of at least 2 ounces.

2) Package samples

All samples should be collected into clean, crush-proof, leak-proof, plastic containers (no glass please) and labeled (see note below). Pollen and wax samples can be collected directly into. Sample containers of honey/nectar and bees should then be placed into zip-lock bags.

3) Label each sample

Each individual container must be labeled using permanent marker. Each individual sample must have the following information on the sample container:

Your name

Date collected

Colony number (or code) or batch designation (for honey or trapped pollen samples).

4) Freeze all samples

After collecting and labeling, place all samples in the freezer until time of shipping. All samples should be frozen at the time of shipping. This is especially critical for brood and bee samples.

5) Ship samples, data sheets and check

Remove samples from freezer and place in insulated bag or small cooler with freeze pack (blue ice – the type used in picnic coolers). Ship overnight or second day to:

Maryann Frazier

Department of Entomology

501 ASI Building

University Park, PA 16802

Include one data sheet (below) per sample.

Include a check made out to Penn State University to cover your cost.

$142.00/sample

Please DO NOT ship on a Friday or the day before a holiday.

Please be advised that the average turn around time for sample analysis is three weeks.

Questions or concerns contact:

Maryann Frazier

Phone: (814) 865-4621

Fax: (814) 865-3048

Email: mfrazier@psu.edu

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Data Sheet (include one per sample)

Beekeeper Name ________________________

Address ________________________

________________________

Phone Number ________________________

Email Address ________________________

Colony Identification (number or name)__________

Colony location _________________________ (state and county)

Colony health at time of sampling:

Seasonal information (movement, excessive swarming, crops pollinated, etc.:

Why are you submitting these samples?

Please include any additional information that you feel is relevant.

[onarock]

can a moderator please remove this post?

[jim lyon]

Appreciate the info Dean. I'm definitely going to be sending in a sample. A sampling of drums in a 28,000 lb lot (I will probably go a bit larger than that) would only be a .01 per lb., i would be more than happy to share the results or compare them with anyone elses. Sounds like a bargain for anyone wanting proof that their treatment free product is everything that it claims to be.

[Barry]

I wonder if an independent lab not associated with beekeeping would be competitive in pricing? Anyone know of any? I'd love to have mine tested.

[sqkcrk]

You aught to be able to find one in Chicago, don't ya think?

[stajerc61]

One of my buddies works in and EPA lab downtown. He's always asking me to test my honey but I have not taken him up on the offer. What are you looking for anyway? It's in the water you drink every day.

[sqkcrk]

Not necassarily stajerc61. I doubt that what you would find in honey is in the water we drink. Tests done by Penn State have found presence of over 170 different chemical compounds not chemically part of what honey is.