MALDI-BeeTyping® for Bee Health Monitoring and Pathogen Detection

MALDI-BeeTyping® is a mass spectrometry-based method for monitoring honey bee health through molecular mass fingerprints from haemolymph. It enables rapid, cost-effective assessment of immune status using a traffic light system (green, yellow, red) to indicate stress levels. The technique identifies key biomarkers such as Apidaecin and AMCI, supporting early detection of pathogens like Nosema and stressors such as pesticides. Validated in controlled and field studies across Spain and Germany, it demonstrates high accuracy (90.6%) in classifying bee health under varying stressors. Complementary to PCR and immunological assays, MALDI-BeeTyping® offers robust, scalable diagnostics with TRL 7, supporting integration into EU animal health plans and harmonised bee health monitoring.