Reference number  
DRS 158: 201 8  
© RSB 2018 
 
F 
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS 
158 
 
2nd edition  
Published by RSB 2018-mm-dd 
(Reaffirmed 2018) 
Conservation and maintenance of honey 
bees  — code of practice  
 
  DRS158: 201 8 
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  ii 
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2018 
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without 
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reprodu ce this document should be addressed to : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
KK 15 Rd, 49  
Tel. +250 788303492  
Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw  
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw  DRS 158: 201 8 
iii                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... v 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 1 
3 Proc urement of colonies  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 1 
3.1 Capturing or Purchase of Honey Bee Colonies  ................................ ................................ .......... 1 
4 Hiving the honeybees ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 2 
5 Apiary management  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 2 
5.1 Apiary  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 2 
5.2 Site ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 2 
5.3 Overstocking  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...2 
6 Keeping of  records  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 2 
6.1 Preventive and curative measures  ................................ ................................ ............................... 3 
6.2 Feeding during food shortages period  ................................ ................................ ......................... 3 
7 Migration  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 3 
8 Pre-honey flow b uild-up ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 4 
9 Honey flow  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 4 
10 Extraction of honey  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 5 
11 Extraction of beeswax  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 5 
12 Crop pollination  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 5 
13 Conservation of bee flora ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 6 
Annex  A ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 7 
Annex  B ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 8 
List of notifiable honey bee diseases  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 8 
B.1 American Foul Brood (A. F.B.)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 8 
B.1.1  Cause  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 8 
B.1.2  Gross symptoms  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 8 
B.1.3  Spread  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 8 
B.1.4  Treatment  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 8 
B.2 European Foul Brood (E. F.B.)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 8 
B.2.1  Cause  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 8 
B.2.2  Gross symptoms  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 8 
B.2.3  Spread  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 8 
B.2.4  Treatment  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 9 
B.3 Acarine disease  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 9 
B.3.1  Cause  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 9 
B.3.2  Spread  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 9 
B.3.3  Treatment  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 9 
B.4 Nosema disease  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 9 
B.4.1  Cause  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 9 DRS158: 201 8 
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  iv 
 B.4.2  Gross Sympto ms ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  9 
B.4.3  Spread  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  9 
B.4.4  Treatment  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  9 
Annex  C ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  10 
C.1 Pooling and hygiene  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  10 
C.2 Processing ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 10 
C.3 Testing  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  11 
C.4 Packing  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  11 
Annex  D ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  12 
General recommendations for use of pesticides for honey bees ................................ .............................  12 
Annex  E ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  13 
List of important pl ants suitable for apiculture  ................................ ................................ .........................  13 
E.1 Cultivated plants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  13 
E.2 Wild plants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 13 
Annex  F ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  21 
F.1 Material and che micals  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  21 
F.1.1  Blotting paper ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  21 
F.1.2  Preparation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 21 
F.1.3  Requ irements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  21 
F.1.4  Packing and marking  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  21 
F.1.5  Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  21 
F.2 Method of determination of quantity of chlorobenzilatestrips  ................................ .....................  22 
F.2.1  Reagent  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  22 
F.2.2  Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 22 
F.3 Calculation ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 22 
Bibliography ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  23 
. DRS 158: 201 8 
v                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board  of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB, in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task o f technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards 
adopted by Technical committ ees are ratified  by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and 
gazettment as Rwanda Standards.  
RS 158 was prepared by Technical Com mittee RBS/TC 27 , on beekeeping and beekeeping products . In the 
preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following standard:  
KS 661:2010 Honey Bees — Code for Conservation and Maintenance  
The assistance delivered from the above source is her eby acknowledged with thanks.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Beekeeping and beekeeping 
products  (RSB/TC 027) in the preparation of this standard.  
 DRS158: 201 8 
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  vi 
 Introduction  
The vast agriculture, horticulture and forest cover of the region coupled with over -dominance of majority of 
rural population on agriculture and allied occupations offers beekeeping as one of the most important and 
potential subsidiary occupations. Beekeeping initially was a fo rest based industry but with advancement in 
technology of bee management coupled with green revolution, it has been transformed into an agro -based 
industry.  
While honey bees are known producers of honey, royal jelly, propolis and beeswax, they are primaril y 
instrumental in increasing the productivity of a number of agricultural crops many folds through cross - 
pollination. Apart from increase in yield of different crops, they have been found to have improved the quality 
of seeds/fruits significantly.  
Honey b ees, therefore, constitute natural media for enhancing primary production and augmentation of 
national wealth. To facilitate better conservation of honey bees and growth of apiculture, this standard covers 
the essential aspects of apiary management. The pr esent edition, among others, incorporates the following 
aspects:  
list of important plants, their species and flowering periods have been modified on the basis of the knowledge 
gained from research institutions; and general  recommendations for safe use of pesticides for honey bees 
have  been included.  
For guidance  this standard  also includes  information  regarding  conservation  of various  species  of honey  bees 
(see Annex  A).  
 DRS 158: 201 8 
1                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
 Conservatio n and maintenance of honey bees  — code of practice  
1 Scope  
This code prescribes essential aspects of apiary management for better conservation of honey bees and 
growth of apiculture and also covers requirements for healthy maintenance of honey bee colonies.  
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of  their content constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated refere nces, only the edition cited  applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
RS ARS 1411 , Radial type honey extractor — Specification  
RS ARS 1418 , Honey processing unit — Technical requirem ents 
EAS 36, Honey — Specification  
ISO 3310 -1, Test sieves — Technical requirements and testing — Part 1: Test sieves of metal wire cloth  
3 Procurement of  colonies  
3.1 Capturing or Purchase of Honey Bee  Colonies  
3.1.1 . In order to maximize the scope for capturing honey bee colonies for rearing them in beehives, the 
natural  nesting  sites should  be preserved  or restored  as far as possible  and additional  favourable  nesting  sites 
should be created at suitable forest  locations.  
3.1.2.  Mere dependence on captur ing natural colonies would be reduced in due course, the natural bee 
population in areas where beekeeping has taken roots. In order to avoid this situation, a planned programme 
of establishing bee nurseries should been  couraged.  
3.1.3 . If a colony  is to be acquired  through  purchase these shall declare  the age of the queen  and health of the 
colony.  The beekeepers  shall normally  be expected  to sell young queens  preferably  less than one year old. 
For better survival of bees, it may be advisable to buy and sell  colonies not less than 3frames.  
3.2. A colony infested with any of the notified diseases (see Annex B) shall not be sold, purchased or 
transferred from the hives, walls, pots, logs, etc. 
3.3. If an area has been notified as epidemic region, inter -state or  inter-regional migration from such area to 
other regions should be  prohibited.   
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  2 
 4 Hiving the honeybees  
4.1. Honey bees should be colonized in beehives conforming to beehives specification. All other equipment 
should similarly conform to the relevant Rwanda S tandards as far as possible.  
4.2.where wall hives  are in use, these  should  accommodate  movable  standard  frames  depending  upon  the 
requirement of honey bee  species  
5 Apiary  management  
5.1 Apiary  
A location where one or more honey bee colonies are assembled together and collectively managed may be 
considered as an apiary.  
5.2 Site 
An apiary site should be as close to a natural source of clean hygienic water and bee flora as possible, 
protected from wind, direct sunlight, severe heat, severe cold, rain, wild anima ls, ant., termites and exposures 
to insecticides or toxic fumes or poisonous chemicals. An apiary should not be located in unclean areas or at a 
site where the presence of bees is likely to cause public nuisance. It should be 50 m away from public path or 
highway.  
5.3 Overstocking  
The number of honey bee colonies kept in such an apiary should be limited to optimum in relation to forage 
resources within the same flight range, so as to avoid over stocking.  
Periodic  cleaning  
Beehives should be cleaned and periodic ally out painted. Each colony should be periodically inspected twice 
in a month  and in a manner  causing  least  disturbance  and provocation  to honey  bees. Debris accumulated  on 
the bottom board should  be regularly  cleaned. Pieces of wax combs  should  be pooled  together  and melted  for 
wax recovery. Old combs should be melted and comb renewal induced . 
Brood frames  
All brood or full -depth frames should be wired to withstand breakage of combs during inspection, migration 
and extraction, etc.  
6 Keeping of record s 
A beekeeper should keep a record indicating the condition of each of his/her colonies during periodic 
inspections. If he/she suspects incidence of any disease or undue mortality owing to pesticide residues he 
should resort to remedial measures immediately.  DRS 158: 201 8 
3                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
 6.1 Preventive and curative  measures  
A beekeeper should co -operate with the local veterinary services by adopting prescribed preventive and 
curative measures against any epidemic or endemic bee diseases.  
6.2 Feeding during food shortages period  
During  the short intervals of local dearth periods, if there are no adequate honey and/or pollen stores within 
the colony, the beekeeper should provide sugar feeding or pollen supplements or both so as to maintain 
colony strength without letting the honey bee st arve.  
7 Migration  
7.1.If the local food shortages period or periods are prolonged beyond 6 to 8 weeks continuously, the 
beekeepershould,ifpossible,migratehis/hercoloniestothenearestsourcesofnaturalforagefromfarm(s) orforest(s) 
through individual or collective migration. The beekeepers may also migrate their colonies to avail of the 
natural flora in other localities, having different flora and different flowering periods.  
7.2. Prior to migration all the colonies should be thoroughly examined for any deficiencies like queen  less 
presence of laying workers, food shortage, etc, and such deficiencies should be rectified . 
7.3. Colonies shall be packed so as  to: 
a) secure in position various hive components, frames in particular ; 
b) avoid shaking during  transit;  
c) provide adequate ventilation to the  bees;  
d) prevent congestion inside ; 
e) provide feeding or water in transit, if necessary;  and 
f) Prevent  honey bees escaping through gaps in entrance gates, and other components . 
7.4. The migration should be done preferably at night or in cool weather avoiding adverse temperature. The 
coloniesshould beloadedwiththeirframesparalleltothedirection ofmovement incase oftruckstransporty  
7.5. Proper  arrangement like cleaning the apiary site, arran ging hive stands, providing clean water should be 
done prior to the arrival of the colonies at the migratory site (s). 
7.6. On arrival at the migratory site, the colonies should be promptly arranged on the hive stands and the 
entrance gates opened at the earliest appropriate hour . 
7.7. The first post -migration inspection should be done within 7 days after the colonies settle down to work. 
During this inspection, it may be observed whether there are any combs broken, queens lost, bees dead, etc. 
The old  combs which need immediate replacement should be taken to one side of the hive where the queen  
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  4 
 does not generally lay eggs. These old combs should be subsequently removed and wax recovered and the 
empty frames should be sterilized by dipping in hot water and should be dried in direct sun before giving 
foundation strips for comb renewal . 
7.8. In addition to honey flow and pollination, this migration period can also be looked upon as an occasion for  
increase  in the number  of colonies  by simple  division  so pl anned  queen  rearing programme . 
The superannuated queens should be replaced by young mated queens.  
8 Pre-honey flow  build -up 
8.1. Colonies should be developed to their full strength by the beginning of the flow season  by: 
a) uniting weak  colonies;  
b) augmenting medium colonies with sealed brood combs and honey bees or both;  
c) giving stimulative feeding  ;and 
d) Giving  comb foundation strips for drawing combs and expanding broodnest.  
8.2.Dummyor  division  boards  should  be used  for colonies  which  still fall short  of full strength  by a couple  of 
combs  so as to induce  them  to the supers.  The colonies  which  are still weak  should  be transferred  to nuclei, to  
obtain  some surplus honey  yield.  
9 Honey  flow 
9.1. The moment  nectar  starts  coming  in, supers  should  be added  to the colonies  .When  the first supers  are 
more or less filled with honey but not sealed, a fresh super should be given in order to provide additional 
storing space. It may be desirable to have two supers for each colony in the apiary as the normal l ife of super 
combs is three  years.  
9.2. Honey should be extracted only when the combs are sealed by the honey bees. Extraction of unripe 
honey will lead to fermentation and  spoilage.  
9.3Towards the end of the flow the brood rearing is reduced, and honey is often instinctively stored in the 
brood combs to provide for the ensuing local dearth. Therefore, honey should never be extracted from brood 
combs.  
9.4. At the end of the flow, and after the honey has been extracted, the empty combs should be got cleare d of 
honey  bees  and preserved  carefully  insupers  in a cool,  dry, rat-proofen  closures  with suitable  preservatives 
against  wax moth  and other  insect  pests. Such  drawn  out combs  should  be reused  during  the next honey  flow. 
Abeekeepershouldequiphim/herselfwithatleasttwosupers ofsuchdrawnoutcombsforeachcolony inhis apiary to 
derive maximum harvest from each honey flow . DRS 158: 201 8 
5                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
 10 Extraction of  honey  
10.1. Honey should be extracted only from sealed combs. Carbolic acid or smoke or toxic fum es should not be 
used as it may taint the flavour of honey or otherwise spoil it . 
10.2. Extraction should be done only in a clean, fly proof  enclosure. This will avoid honey bees visiting the 
extracted honey and drowning init. 
10.3. All the equipment used for extraction, like the uncapping knives, trays, extractors, etc, should be 
thoroughly cleaned in boiling water, before use. The extractors should conform to radial or tangential honey 
extractor.  RS ARS 1411 . 
10.4. During extraction, the honey should run through a strainer of 1.40 mm [see ISO3310 -1]. 
10.5.  The containers used for collecting the extracted honey should preferably be of food grade plastic, 
stainless steel, aluminium, or if of other metal, should be thickly tinned or galvanized. The containers  should 
have covers and each should preferably carry a complete label . 
10.6. Persons  engaged in extraction of honey should be free from any contagious diseases, should wear 
clean clothes and should clean their hands with a disinfectant  soap.  
10.7. Honey  extracted  from colonies  with infectious  bee diseases  should  be kept separate  and not mixed  with 
general lot so as to avoid transmission of pathogenic micro -organisms through such honeys. This honey 
should be pasteurized between 25o to 300 degrees before marketing. It should never be fed either in 
processed or unprocessed form to the  bees.  
10.8. Theextractedhoneyinair -tighttransitcontainersshouldbetakentothepoolingandprocessingcentres as early 
as possible. Even during the short interval, th e honey remains with the bee keeper, it should be stored  in cool, 
dry and hygienic  place  and should  be protected  from smoke, heat  and insects.  
10.9. Recommendations for proper  pooling, hygiene processing  and testing  of honey  are given  in Annex.C  
11 Extraction  of beeswax  
11.1.  Since beeswax is a valuable by -product finding use in various industries, every beekeeper should 
scrupulously collect every bit of such wax. This is usually obtained from the old combs during renewal, bits of 
bur and brace combs, discarde d pieces of combs and cappings on honey  cells.  
11.2. The old and discarded combs should be stored in containers with tight lids and should be melted at the 
earliest  to avoidfurtherdeteriorationandinfestationwithwaxmoth.Thesemeltingsshouldbecast inslabsof de sired 
size, shape and  mass.  
12 Crop  pollination  
12.1. A beekeeper should realize that besides harvesting honey and wax, he should also mobilize his honey 
bees for pollination of agricultural horticultural crops to increase the agricultural productivity. He should, 
therefore, fully co -operate in individual or collective migration of honey bees to nearest farming areas suitable 
for this  purpose.   
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  6 
 12.2. Reciprocally, the farming commu nities should realize that particularly in case of self-sterile  crops, any 
amount of irrigation, fertilizer or cultural care cannot give him optimum yields if there are no honey bees to 
pollinate such crops. The farming community should, therefore, collect ively protect the honey bees kept in 
their localities from theft, and pesticides, etc. If pesticides are sprayed a few days before flowering starts or if 
wind direction, etc, are considered while applying them, the damage to honey bees can be minimized. Th ere 
are insecticidal  formulations  which  are relatively  harmless  to honey  bees.  These  should  be preferred  as far as 
possible. Since bees fly anywhere within a radius of about one kilometre, the entire local farming community 
shall collectively care for the protection of bees kept in their locality for mutual benefits. The farming 
communityshouldbesuitablyeducated inthisaspect.Generalrecommendationsforsafe useofpesticidesfor honey 
bees are given in Annex .D. 
12.3. The community of farmers in a compact locality may provide for permanent well protected bee houses 
where optimum number of bee colonies can be safely placed during annual recurring migration of bee stocks 
for pollination  of their local crops  to maximize  their crop yields.  These  village bee houses  should  be registered 
as seasonal apiary sites.  
13 Conservation of bee flora  
Viability of the beekeeping industry depends on the density and composition of local flora. Forest vegetation 
should not, therefore, be destroyed. Trees, shrubs and herb s providing bee forage should be particularly 
conserved. For guidance, a list of important plants suitable for apiculture is given in Annex E  DRS 158: 201 8 
7                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
 Annex  A 
Conservation of various species of honey bees  
A.1.The little honey bee ( A. florae ) builds a small single comb exposed to light. It yields a very meagre quantity of 
honey. But its wax is of a very high quality. These bees should not be disturbed or destroyed for such meagre 
honey harvests. Only the deserted empty combs should be collect ed for recovery of wax which should be kept 
separate in view of the superior quality of its wax. These bees selectively pollinate crop plants with small 
inconspicuous flowers. In fact, it has been observed that under hot tropical or sub -tropical conditions , the role of 
A.floea  as crop pollinator  seven  more  conspicuous  than that of A.Ceranaindica .Their nests should be carefully 
preserved and suitable sites should be created to augment their nests in farms and forests.  
 
A.2.The giant or Rock honey bee ( A. dorsata ) builds a very large single comb exposed to light. It is also a very 
efficient crop pollinator and the best yielder of honey and wax. However, due to its ferocious stinging habit, bee 
hunters collect their honey and wax by very crude destructive me thods such as burning them. These bees should 
be protected against such destruction. Instead of burning them, smoke alone should be used to dislodge bees 
from their combs. Only a part of the honey store should be collected leaving adequate portion of honey  for colony 
sustenance. Only the deserted empty combs should be used for wax recovery. Their nests should be protected 
and augmented unless the nests are at inconvenient locations endangering humansafety.  
 
A.2.The honey bee, A. cerana indica builds a numbe r of parallel combs in dark enclosure of trees and rock 
cavities. Thisistheonlyspeciesofbeeswhichcanbe reared inmodernmovableframebeehives , in apiaries . 
 
A.3.Italian honey bees, A. mellifera were introduced in this country in early seventies. It is highly productive 
because of its bigger size, longer flight range, higher colony population, quick breeding of colony and low 
absconding/swarming tendency. Otherwise it is similar in habits to A. cerana indica honeybe e as it builds a 
number of parallel combs in enclosed spaces gentle in behaviour and is similarly reared in modern movable 
frame  hives.  
 
A.4.'Dammar' or Indian stingless honey bees ( Melipona spp. and Trigona spp.) construct their nests in hollows of 
trees, rocks or walls. They are the smallest of the honey yielding bees. They yield very meagre quantities of 
honey and inferior wax. But they increase national wealth by selectively pollinating certain agricultural and forest 
plants with very small incons picuous flowers normally ignored by Apis spp. Their nests should, therefore, be 
carefully preserved and the stingless bees should be encouraged to build new nests at suitable sites in farms and  
forests.   
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  8 
 Annex  B 
List of notifiable honey bee diseases  
B.1 American Foul Brood (A. F.B.)  
B.1.1  Cause  
It is a larval honey bee disease caused by bacterium known as Baccilus larvae (White). It infects the gut of the 
larvae.  
B.1.2  Gross  symptoms  
Larvae invariably die in sealed stage, putrefy and become slimy and sticky with foul odour.  
B.1.3  Spread  
Through exchange of honey bees and infected materials, swarms, drifting, etc.  
B.1.4  Treatment  
Antibiotics.  
B.2 European Foul Brood (E. F.B.)  
B.2.1  Cause  
It is a larval bee disease initially caused by the bacterium known as Streptococcus pluton (White) and 
secondarily infected by Bacterium eurydice . It infects the gut of the larvae.  
B.2.2  Gross  symptoms  
B.2.2.1  Larvae die mostly in early stage before  sealing.  
B.2.2.2  Generally no conspicuous  odour.  
B.2.3  Spread  
 
Through exchange of combs or other hive components, etc.  DRS 158: 201 8 
9                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
 B.2.4  Treat ment  
Antibiotics, preferably Terramycin.  
B.3 Acarine  disease  
B.3.1  Cause  
It is an adult bee disease caused by a microscopic mite Acarapis woodi (Rennie). It infects the trachea 
(breathing tubes) in thorax.  
B.3.2  Spread  
B.3.2.1  From old infested honey bees to young honey bees thro ugh direct contact or through 
drifters or swarms, mixing or exchange of adult honey bees.  
B.3.3  Treatment  
B.3.3.1  Use of acaricides like chlorobenzylate.  
B.4 Nosema  disease  
B.4.1  Cause  
It is an adult honey bee disease caused by the protozoan Nosema apis zander . It infects the gut  of the adult.  
B.4.2  Gross  Symptoms  
B.4.2.1   Inability to fly, dysentery, paralytic movements.  
B.4.3   Spread  
B.4.3.1  Through unhygienic conditions of colony, and exchange of materials of infected colonies 
particularly the combs and also through excreta of honey bees.  
B.4.4  Treatment  
B.4.4.1  Fumigation of combs and hive parts with acetic acid orformalin.  
Drug treatment of fumagillin(antibiotic).   
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  10 
 Annex  C 
Pooling, hygiene processing, testing and packing honey  
C.1 Pooling and  hygiene  
C1.1 .At the pooling and processing centres, each lot of honey received sho uld be subjected to rapid 
preliminary  physiochemical  tests  like flavour,  specific  gravity,  turbidity,  etc, before  it is pooled  in larger  air-tight 
bulk containers, preferably of capacities 100 kg  each.  
C.1.2 .Since honey collected by the beekeepers is pooled at a central place by beekeepers' co -operative 
societies and other similar authorized organizations, these should have a separate honey house for all these 
operations. Such a unit should be suitably and functionally  designed.  
C.1.3 .The honey house should be situated on an elevated, well drained site to preclude any possibility of 
percolation of water in basement. It should be away from the main township to minimize the problem of 
proximity to municipal drainage, town dumps, effluent s, flies, air pollution, etc, and should preferably be 
isolated from main highways of traffic lines and  dust.  
C1.4 .There should be ample availability of filtered and chlorinated potable  water.  
C1.5. There should be full basement with separate rooms for (a) unprocessed bulk honey, and (b) processed 
honey in various categories of  packages.  
C.1.6 .Thehoneyhouseshould becompletelyfly -proofandalsowelllightedandventilated. Alltheentrances should 
carry double doors. A fly -proof toilet room should be provided, with hyg ienic arrangements and well separated 
from the main pooling and processing unit. It should have water -flush connected to drainage main or a septic 
tank with a soak -pit for its  effluent.  
C1.7 .All persons employed in pooling, processing and packing of honey should keep personal hygiene, be 
freefromanycommunicablediseasesandshouldbeperiodicallyinoculatedagainstcholera , typhoid,etc  
C.2 Processing  
C2.1 .Inordertohavelowestpossiblestoragetemperature,  the processed  and unprocessed  honeys  should 
invariably be stored in basement only. Storage of honey at higher room temperature increases its 
hydroxyethyl -furfural contents and should therefore be prevented . 
C2.2 .In order to prevent fermentation and retard gra nulation, honey should be processed appropriately before 
it is marketed. Honey should be filtered through strainers of 500 and 300 micron [see ISO 3310 -1] before 
processing. In order to facilitate easy straining, the honey should be preheated in a water ba th to a 
temperature not exceeding 37 °C to 43°C. 
C2.3 .Care should be taken to heat the honey : DRS 158: 201 8 
11                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
 a) indirectly through a  water -bath,  
b) in closed system to retain its natural aroma and flavour, and  
c) Uniformly  at controlled temperature in order to kill the yeasts that cause fermentation. For guidance, 
honey may be heated uniformly at 60 °C for 20 min or at 63 °C for 15 min. The clean filtered honey should 
thusbeprocessed inahoneyprocessingunitcomplyingwithCD -K-667:2010.  
C2.4 .The processed honey should be run through a filter to remove any remaining finer impurities. This 
filtered  honey  should  be allowed  to settle  in a series  of settling  tanks  before  it is packed  for market. This helps 
to get clearest  honey  as any fine suspensions  like wax come  up to the surface  in these  settling  tanks.  
C.3 Testing  
The processed  honey  should  be tested  for various  characteristics  before  it is packed  (seeEAS36).  
C3.1. Stocksofhoneyknown orsuspectedtobefermented , spoilt  or contaminated  with disease  pathogens, drugs, 
poisonous  pollen or  such  other  ingredients  harmful  to human  health , should  not be released  for human  
consumption.  
C.4  Packing  
The honey  should  be packed  for marketing  in air-tight hygienically  clean , wide  mouthed, glass containers  Orin 
acid-resistant lacquered tin containers or in suitable food grade polyethylene  containers.   
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  12 
 Annex  D 
General recommendations for use of pesticides for honey bees  
Pesticides commonly applied on various crops may be hazardous to be honey bees because they visit  flower 
for nectar and pollen. The lethal effects of pesticides should be minimized by applying comparatively safe 
chemicals in a proper manner and at the right time. Evenings are safe periods for the application of the 
insecticides. Following may be kept in view while applying pesticides.  
a) seed treatment or soil application of pesticides is safe for bees ; 
b) spraying should be preferred to dusting as spraying allows bees drifting to adjoining fields and wild 
flowers;  
c) aerial spraying should be avoided in areas where there are bee farms; alternatively colonies should be 
shifted to safe places ; 
d) Granular application  of pesticides  is safer  than spraying. Spraying  on leaves  before  emergence  of flowers 
is safer; and  
e) Efforts  should  be made  to minimize  drift of the pesticides. Foliar spraying  before   flowers  opens  are safe DRS 158: 201 8 
13                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
 Annex  E 
List of important plants suitable for apiculture  
E.1.Thereareanumberofcultivatedandwildherbs , shrubs  and trees  from which  honeybees  collect  pollen and 
nectar.  However, with a view to help in selection of such plants on which bees thrive well, and which would  be 
suitable  for cultivation  and helpin g selecting  location  of apiaries,  a list has been  compiled.  
E.2.It is intended that for facilitating faster and healthier growth of apiculture, the information given in this 
annex would also encourage selective cultivation of plants according to their suitability in various areas. 
However, due to various ecological con ditions, a plant which may be an important source in one region may 
not be so in other  regions.  
E.3.This annex includes botanical names and classification, and flowering periods of important cultivated and 
wild herbs, shrubs and trees suitable for apiculture as sources of  nectar or pollen or both.  
E.1 Cultivated  plants  
The botanical names, classification, and flowering periods of cultivated herbs, shrubs and vees are given in 
Table 1.  
E.2 Wild plants  
The botanical names, classification, and flowering period of wild herbs, shrubs and trees are given in Table 2.  
 
Table 1 — Cultivated plants (Clause E.1)  
In Col 4 and 5, “+” indicates plants known to be useful, “+1” minor sources, “+2” medium sou rces 
(average) and “+3” major sources  
 
 
Botanical name   
Common English 
Name   
Family  Bee forage   
Flowering (Month 
No.)  
Pollen  Nectar  
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) 
Allium Cepa L Onion Alliaceae  + + + 2-5 
Althaea rosea Cav. Hollyhock  Malvaceae  +1 + 2-6 
Antiqonon Lepiopus Hk. & 
Arn. Pink vina  Polygoanceae  +2 +2 7-2 
Brassica spp. Mustards  Brassicaceae  +3 +3 9-12 
Caianus cajan (L.) Mil sp.  Pigeon pea  Papillionaceae  + +3 9-10 
Carthamus tinctorius L.  Safflower  Compositae  +1 +1 3-5 
Calosia argentea  L. Cockscomb  Amaranthaceae  +1 + 3-8  
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  14 
 Coriandrum sativum L.  Coriander  Umbelliferea  +3 +3 10-4 
Cosmos bipinnatus Cav.  Cosmos  Asteraceae 
(Compositae)  +2 +2 3-11 
Corocus sativus L.  Saffron Crocus  Iridaceaa  +1 +1 10-11 
 
 
Botanical name   
Common English 
Name   
Family  Bee forage   
Flowering (Month 
No.) Pollen  Nectar  
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) 
Crucifarous  Raddish, Cabbage  Brassicaceac  +2 +2 10-3 
Vegetables, e.tc.  Knot Kohl. etc.      
Cucurbits  Gourds and 
Cucumbers  Cucurbitaceae  + +1 4-10 
Fagopyrum esculentum  
Moench  Buckuheat  Potygonaceae  +2 +2 7-9 
Foenlculum vulgare Mill  Fennel  Apiaccae 
(Umbelliferae )  + + 1-4 
Gossypiurn spp.  Cotton  Malvaceae  + + 8-10 
Guizotia abyssinica  Niger seed  Compositae  +3 +2 10 
Helianthus annuus L  Common sunflower  Compositae  +2 +3 4-11 
Helianthus dubius L.  Sunflower  Compositae  + + 7-1- 
Impatiens Balsamina L.  Garden  Balsaminacea  +2 +1 8-10 
Ipomoea learii paxt.  Blue Dawn Flower  Convolvulacea  +2 +1 8-10 
Linum usitatissinum L.  Flax Linaceae  +0 + 1-3 
Musas paradisiaca L.  Plantain  Musaceae  + + 1-12 
Nriganurn vulgare L.  Wild Marjoram  Lamiaceae  + + 8-9 
Papaver spp. Poppy  Papaveraceae  +2 + 1-4 
Ponnisetumtyphoides  
(Burm.) Stepf &Hubb.  Pearl Millet(Bajra)  Poaceae  
(Gramineae)  +1  6-10 
Penstemon barbatus  
Nutt.  — Sorophulariaceae  +1 +1 6-7; 12 -1 
Phlox drummondi Hk.J Drummond Phlox  PoIemoniaceae  +1  6-8; 12 -2 
Portulaca grandiflora  
Hk. Rose Moss  Portulacaceae  +3 — 5-10 
Raphanus sativus L  Radish  Brassicaceae  +2 +2 2-4 
Sesamumn indicum L  Sesame  Podaliaceae  +3 +3 6-9 
Solidago canadensis L.  Goldenrod  Asteraceae  +2 +2 4-6; 9-10 
Trifoliurn spp. Clover  Papilionaceae  + +3 4-6 
Zee mays L  Maize  Poaceae  +3 — 6-9 
Zinnia elegans Jacq  Youth and old age  Asteraceae  + + 5-11 DRS 158: 201 8 
15                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
 Zinnia linearis Benth.  — Asteraceae  + +  
   
SHRUBS     
Rerberis spp. Barbeny  Berberidaceae  +3 +3 2-6 
Callistemon spp.  Bottle brush  Myrtaceae  +1 +2 3-4; 10 -2 
Coffea spp. Coffee  Rubiaceae  + +2 2-4 
Euphorbia pulcherrma  
Wild Poinsettia  Euphorbieceae  + + 11-12 
Hamelia patens Jacq.  The spreading 
Hamelia  Rubiaceae  + +2 — 
Ricinus communis L.  Castor -oil-plant  Euphorbiaceae  +2 — 10-4 
Rosa spp. Rose  Rosaceae  +1 + 1-12 
Adanasonia digitata L.  Monkey -bread tree  Bombacaceae  +2 +2 1-3 
Anacardium occidentale L.  Cashew  Anacardiacease  + + 11-3 
Annona spp. Custard -apple  Annonaceae  +1  5-7 
Areca catechu L.  Areca Nut  Arecacese  + + 1-12 
Cassia spp. Senna  Caesalpiniaceae  +  3-7 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Botanical name   
Common English 
Name   
Family  Bee forage   
Flowering (Month 
No.) Pollen  Nectar  
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) 
Casuarina equisetifolia L.  Horsetail ttee  Casuarinaceae  +2 — — 
Citrus spp. Lemon, orange, etc.  Rutaceae  +2 +2 2-5 
Cocos nucifera L  Coconut  Arecaceae (Palmae)  +3 + 1-12 
Delonix regia (Boj.) Rafin.  Flamboyant(Gul - 
mohar)  Caesalpiniaceae  +3 + 4-11 
Diospyros kaki L.f  Kaki Ebenaceae   +  
Duranta repens L.  Golden dewdrop  Verbenaceae  +  4-7 
Eriobotrya Loquat  Rosaceae   + 10-1  
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  16 
 japonica(Thunb.) Lindl.  
Eucalyptus spp. Gum tree  Myrtaceae   +3 12-5 
Gliricidia sepium(Jacq.)  
Walp.  Madre  Papilionaceae   + 1-4 
Hevea brasiliensis(HBK.) 
Muell Arg.  Para rubber tree  Euphorbiaceae  + +3 3-4 
Lagerstroemia indiea  L. Crape -myrtle  Lythraceae  +3  3-7 
Lagerstroemia speciosa 
(L.) Pas.  Queen Crapemyrtle 
Lythraceae   +2  5-6 
Ligustrum vulgare L  Common Privet  Oleaceae   + 2-4 
Litchi chinensis (Gaertrn) 
Sonnert.  Litchi  Sapindaceae   +3 2-3 
Mimusops elengi L  Llanjy  Sapotaceae  + + 5-6 
Moringa spp. Drumstick tree  Moringaceae  +1 +1 11-2 
Peltophorum pterocarpum  
(DC.) backer ex Heyne  Brasilatto  Caesalpiniaceae  +2  12-6 
Prosopis spp. Mesquite  Mimosaceae  + + 4-12 
Prunus spp. Stona fruits  Rosaceae  +2 +2 2-4 
Psidium guajava L.  Guava  Myrtaceae  +2 +2 4-9 
Punica granatum L  Pomegranate  Punicaceae  + + 4-5 
Malus pumila MilL  Apple  Rosaceae  +2 +2 3-5 
Salix babyloniea L.  Weeping willow  Salicaceae  + + 2-3 
Tlimarindus indica L - Tamarind  Caesalpiniaceae  + +3 5-7 
Thespesia populreae 
Soland.  Portia tree  Malvaceae  + + 10-1 
      
 
 
Table 2 — Wild plants (Clause E.2)  
In Col 4 and 5, “+” indicates plants known to be useful, “+1” minor sources, “+2” medium sources 
(average) and “+3” major sources  
 
 
Botanical name   
Common English 
Name   
Family  Bee forage   
Flowering (Month 
No.) Pollen  Nectar  
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) 
  HERBS     
Brugmansia candida Pers.   Solanaceae  +2 — 5-8 
Centratherum spp. Iron weed  Asteraceac  +2 +2 10-11 DRS 158: 201 8 
17                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
 Cyonotis spp. — Commelinaceae  +2 — 8-10 
Dysophylla salicifolia Dalz.  Gomani  Labiatae  +2 — 11-2 
Eupatorium spp. Thoroughwort  Compositac  +2 +2 1-3 
 
 
Botanical name   
Common English 
Name   
Family  Bee forage   
Flowering (Month 
No.) Pollen  Nectar  
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) 
Impatiens spp. Snapweed  Balsaminaceae  +2 +2 8-10 
Lagascea mollis Cav.   Astoraceae  +2 + 8.10 
Leucas stelligera Wall.   Labiatae   +2 8.11 
Oxalis corniculata L.  Wood sorrel  Oxalideceae   +2 5-9 
Paracaryum malabaricum 
Clarke  Malori  Boraginaceac  + — 8.10 
Polygonum spp. Knotweed  Polygonaceae  + + 7-10 
Phyla nodiflora (L.) Greene  — Verbenaceae   +2  
Senecio dalzellii Clarke  — A&teraceae  +1 +1 10-11 
Taraxacum officinale 
Weber  Common Dandelion  Asteraceae  +1 +1 3-6 
Trifolium spp. Clover  Papilionaceae  + +1 3-9 
  SHRUBS     
Berberis aristata DC.  Barbeny  Berberidaceac  + +3 2-6 
Berberis lycium Royle  Barbeny  Berberidaceae  + +3 2-6 
Carissa carandas L.  Karanda  Apocynaceae  +1 +1 6-9 
Carvia callosa ( Nees) 
Bremek  Karvi  Acanthaceac  +2 +3 8-10 
Elaeagnus Latifolia L.  — Elaeagnaceae  +2 +2 2-3 
Euphorbia neriifolia L.  — Euphorbiaceae  +1 +2 1-2 
Lepidagathis cuspidata  
Nees  — Acanthaceae  +3 +3 1-3 
Nilgirianthus  
reticulatus(Stapf) Bremek  — Acanthaceac  +2 +2 9-10 
Plectranthus rugosusWall.  Shain  Labiatae  + +3 8-10 
Pogostemon parviflorus 
Benth.  — Lamiaceae  .+ — 2-3 
Pyracantha 
crenulata(D.Don) Roem.  — Rosaceae  + +  
Rubus spp. Brambles  Rosaceae  +2 +3 3-5 
Schefflera Wallichiana  Doddabettu  Araliaceae  +3 +3 4-5 
Scutia circumscissa (L. F.) — Rhamnaceae  +1 +1 1-2 Formatted:  French  (France) 
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  18 
 Radlk.  
Synadenium grantii Hk.f  African Milk bush  Euphorbieceae   +1 11-2 
Thelepaepale ixicocephala  
(Benth.) Bremelc.  — Acanthaceae  +3 +3 10-1 
Vitex spp. — Verbenaceae  +2 +2 12-6 
Wendlandia 
thyrsoidea( Roem. &: 
Schult.) Steud.   
—  
Rubiaccae   
+2  
+2  
2-3 
  TREES     
Acacia sinuaia (Lour.) 
Merr.  Soap pod Watde  Mimosaceae  +1 +1 2-3 
Acacia nilotica(Linn.) Dsl.  
subsp. indica (Benth.) 
Brenan   
Indian Gum Arabic   
Mimosaceae   
+2  
—  
7-9 
Actinodaphne angustifolia  
Nees  Pisa Lauraceae  +3 +3 12-3 
Aegle marmelos(L) Corr.  Bael tree  Ruteceae  +2 +2 6 
Ailanthus excelsa Roxb.  Coromandel Ailanto  Simaroubcceae  +  1.2 
Alseodaphne emecaipifolia 
Nees   Lauraceae  +3 +3 12 
Apodytes beddomei Mast.  -False Holey  Icacinaceae  +3  3-4 
 
 
Botanical name   
Common English 
Name   
Family  Bee forage   
Flowering (Month 
No.) Pollen  Nectar  
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) 
Azadirachta indica A. 
Juss.  Neem tree  Meliaceae   +2 3-5 
Bombax ceiba L  Red Silk Cotton tree  Bombacaceae  +2 +1 1-3 
Boressus flabellifer L  The Palmyra Palm  Arccaceae  +2  12 
Buteo  
monosperma(Lamk.) Taub.  Dhalc tree  Papilionaceae   +1 1-3 
Calophyllum inophyllum L.  Common Poon  Clusiaceae  + — 6; 11 -12 
Canthium parviflorum  
Lamk.  Common honey horn  Rubiaceae   +2 4-5 
Cassia fistula L.  Indian Laburnum  Ceesalpiniaceae  +2 +2 5-6 
Cinnamomum zeylanicum 
Bl. Common Cinnamon  Lauraceae  + + 12-1 
Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.  Sissoo  Papilionaceae   +2 2-6 
Dillenia pentayna Roxb.  Dog teak  Dillaniaceae  +1 +1 3-4 
Dospyros spp. Ebony  Ebenaceae   +2 3-4 DRS 158: 201 8 
19                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
  
 Ehretia acuminata R.Br.  Ivory Wood  Ehretiaceae   +2 4 
Elasocarpus spp. Bracelet Tree  Elaeocarpaceae  +2 +2  
Emblica officinalis Gaertn.  Gooseberry tree  Euphorbiaceae  +2 +2 3c5 
Erythrina indica Lamk.  Common Coral tree  Papilionaceae  +2 +2 2-3 
Flacourtia indica(Burmf)  
Merr.  Sweet thorn  Flacourtiaceae  +2 +2 2-3 
Flacourtia montana Grah.  Sweet thorn  Flacourtiaceae  +2 +2 11-12 
Garuga pinnata Roxb.  Balsam tree  Burseraceae  + + 3-6 
Grewia asiatica L.  Indian Lindenberry  Tiliaceae  +1 +2  
Holigarna grahamii (Wt.)  
Hkf Black Varnish  Anacardiaceae  +2  1-2 
Hopea wightiana Wall.  Common Caung  Dipterocarpaceae   +1 3-6 
Limonia acidissima L.  Elephant apple  Rutaceae  + +1 2-3 
Syzygium caryaphyliatum  
(L.) Alston  Clove -like black plum  Myrtaceae   +2 4-5 
Syzygium zeylanicum(L.) 
DC. Ceylon Jaumoon  Myrtaceae   +2 2-4 
Lagerstroemia lanceolata 
Wall. Ex Wt. & Arn.  Crape Myrtle  Lythraceae  +2 +2 4-5 
Ligustrum perrottetii A.DC  Privet  Oleaceae  +1 +1 10 
Litsaea stocksii Hk.f  Betel nut laurel  Lauraceae  +1 +1 10-11 
Madhuka indica Gmel.  Common Mahwah  Sapotaceae  - +3 1 
Mallotus philippensis 
(Lamk.) Muell. Arg.  Kamala dye  Euphorbiaceae  +3 — 9 
Mammea suriga (Buch 
Ham. ex Roxb.) Kosterm.  Fragrant Poon  Clusiaceae  +3 — 2-3 
Memecylon umbellatum  
Burmf  Bilberry  Malastomataceae  +1 — 2-3 
Morinda spp. Morinda  Rubriacea  — +1  
Olea dioica Roxb.  Indian Wild Olive  Oleaceae  +1  2-3- 
Pegnamia pinnata (L.) 
Pierre  Indian Beech  Papilionaceae  +2 +3 3-5 
Premna coriacea Clarke  Firebrand Teak  Varbenaceae  + +3 4-5 
Prunus cerasoades D.Don.  Himalayan Cherry  Rosaceae  + + 11 
Salix tetrasperma Roxb.  Indian Willow  Salicaccae  +2 — 10-11 
Sapindus mukerossi 
Gaertn.  Soap nut  Sapindaccac  + +3 5-6 
Sap indus laurifolius Vahl  Soap nut  Sapindaceac  + +3 10-1 
Strychnos nux -vomica L  Strychnine tree  Strychnaceae  + — 3-4 
Strychnos potatorumWilld.  Clearing nut  Strycbneceae  + — 4-5  
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  20 
  
Botanical name   
Common English 
Name   
Family  Bee forage   
Flowering (Month 
No.) Pollen  Nectar  
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) 
Symplocos beddomei 
Clarke  — Symplocaccae  + — 11-.2 
Syzygium comini Skeels  Common Jaumoon  Myrtaccae  +2 +3 4-6 
Terminalia alata Var.  
nepalensis fern.  — Combrctaccae  + +3 4-6 
Terminalia arjuna Wt. & 
Arn. Winged Myrobalan 
(Mathi)  Combretaceae  + +3 4-6 
Terminalia 
bellerica(Gaerth.) Roxb.  Belleric Myrobalan  Combretaceae  + +3 4-5 
Terminalia chebula Retz.  Chebulic Myrobalan  Combretaceae  + +3 4-5 
Toona ciliata Roem.  Toon  Meliaceae  +1 +3 3-5 
Vateria indica L  White Dammar  Dipterocarpaceae  +2 +2 2-4 
Xeromphis 
spinosa(Thunb.) Kesy  Common  Emetic Nut  Rubiaceac   +2 4-5 
Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk. 
K. Indian Palum/ Ber  Rhamnaccae  +2 +2 -9-11 
Ziziphus rugosa Lamk. K.  — Rhamnaceae  +2 — 1-3 
 DRS 158: 201 8 
21                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
 Annex  F 
Fumigant strips for treatment of honey -bees  
F.1 Material and  chemicals  
F.1.1  Blotting  paper  
f) Potassium nitrate — 5 percent solution  
g) Chlorobenzilate — ethyl 4,4’ -dichlorobenzilate. Prepare 15 percent solution in  benzene.  
F.1.2  Preparation  
Soak the blotting paper in 5 % potassium nitrate solution and allow it to dry in shade. Soak the dried paper 
once in 15 % solution of chlor o benzilate and allow it to dry.  
Cut out the strips of dimensions 11 X 4 cm which contains the appropriate dose.  
F.1.3  Requirements  
The strips shall be completely dry before packing. The strips shall be evenly soaked with the fumigant.  
Each fumigant strip shall contain 8 to 10 mg of chloro  benzilate per cm2as tested by the method given in 
Annex A.  
F.1.4  Packing and  marking  
The strips shall be suitably packed in cardboard cartons to guard against ingestion of moisture or other 
damage in handling.  
The supplier shall furn ish the information sheet on the procedure for use of the strips and precautions in their 
handling.  
F.1.5  Sampling  
 
The method of drawing representative samples of the product and the criteria for conformity shall hr  as agreed 
to between the purchaser and the su pplier.   
©RSB 2018- All rights reserved                  22 
 F.2 Method of determination of quantity of chlorobenzilatestrips  
F.2.1  Reagent  
Benzene — analytical reagent grade.  
F.2.2  Procedure  
F.2.2.1. Select a clean fumigant strip and measure its area accurately. Take 10 ml of warm benzene in a dish 
and dip the strip in it. Allow the strip to remain in benzene for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the strip, filter the 
solvent through filter paper and collect the filtrate in a weighed dish. Again keep the strip in 10 ml warm 
benzene, remove it after few minutes, filter the solvent  through the same filter paper and collect the filtrate in 
thesame weigheddish. Repeat thisprocedureoncemore.Rinsethefilterpapertwicewith5ml benzene each time  and 
collect  the washings  in the same  weighed dish. Evaporate benzene in  the weighed  dish and weigh it to get 
constant  mass.  
F.3 Calculation  
Mass of chloro  benzilate, in mg/cm2 = C D1000  
Where  
C = mass in g of the dish and residue;  
D = mass in g of empty, clean and dry dish; and A = area in cm2 of fumigant strip.  
  DRS 158: 201 8 
23                ©RSB 2018- All rights reserved  
  
Bibliography  
1. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service website: http://www.mrldatabase.com  
2. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service website: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/Sta ndards  
3. USDA Plant Inspectorate Service website: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants  
4. European Union: http://ec.europa.e u/sanco_pesticides/public  
5. Codex Alimentarius website: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/mrls/pestdes/jsp/pest_q -e.jsp  
 DRS 158: 2018  
ICS 67.020  
 
 
©RSB 2018 - All right s reserved