Bee Health - Fireblight Protected Zones
The Plant Health Directive (2000/29/EC) places certain controls on the movement of bee hives into EU designated 'Fireblight Protected Zones' between 15 March and 30 June.
These controls are aimed at preventing the spread within the Community of Erwinia amylovora, the bacterium that causes Fireblight, a serious notifiable disease of apples, pears and related trees and shrubs in the Rosaceae family. Insects, in particular bees, can host the bacterium and the movement of bee hives is considered a potential risk in the spread of the disease.
Protected zones are areas in the EU where a specified plant pest has not been established despite suitable conditions to do so. Currently, Fireblight Protected Zones comprise Spain, France (Corsica), Ireland, parts of Italy and Austria, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and areas of the UK (Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands). England, Wales and Scotland do not have protected zone status.
Bee hives can only be moved into or within a protected zone provided that documentary evidence shows that one of the following specified conditions have been met. Namely, that the bee hives
In practice, bee hives moved from any location in Great Britain will have to comply with condition (iv). For this purpose, an appropriate quarantine measure might include moving colonies into a cool dark place or keeping the bees in large bee-tight mesh cages covered with bee-proof netting for 48 hours prior to movement.
Beekeepers in England wishing to move bee hives into a Fireblight Protected Zone during the specified period must contact the National Bee Unit for advice and relevant documentation well in advance of any planned movement.
Page last modified:
8 April 2008
Page published: 15 March 2006