American Foulbrood (AFB) – Foster Method™

At dnature we have developed the innovative Foster Method™ for AFB testing. This method is the first of its kind in the apiculture industry for detecting clinical levels of this pathogen. This method ensures that AFB can be detected before symptoms become visual but does not replace visual inspection.

The Foster Method™ was developed to make sampling for AFB easier for beekeepers. After 4 years of working closely with beekeepers and a rigorous testing process for sensitivity, this method was launched in 2022. 

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At dnature we developed the innovative Foster Method™ for AFB testing. This method is the first of its kind in the apiculture industry for detecting clinical levels of this pathogen. This method ensures that AFB can be detected before symptoms become visual but does not replace visual inspection.

The Foster Method™ was developed to make sampling for AFB easier for beekeepers. After 6 years of working closely with beekeepers and a rigorous testing process for sensitivity, this method was launched in 2022 and in February 2024 the method was published in the Journal of Apiculture Research.

Read more about the Foster Method™ here as well as learning about the test with this video.

Order your free Foster Method Sampling.  Please remember to include quantity and delivery details.

Bee Testing Submission Form If you have questions about testing, or anything else, call us on 0800 362 8873 (0800 DNATURE) or email us

“The AFB swabbing (Foster MethodTM) has been a large part of our protocol and it has been invaluable in eliminating AFB in our hives and honey”  (apiary administrator for large Mānuka honey company)