Bee Health - Older What's New
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)
For the latest information please click
here 13 Apr 2007
Consultation on the UK national programme for improving the production and marketing of apiculture products
Click here 9 Mar 2007Minutes of Annual Meeting with Beekeeping Associations
Click here 23 Feb 2007Foul Brood
A new booklet (pdf 1.6mb) has been produced
which describes the recognition and control of American foul brood and
European foul brood along with other common brood disorders 26
Jan 2007
National Feed and Food Control Plan
Click here 15
Dec 2006
Change of responsibility
From 1 April 2006, responsibility for bee health policy
moved to Plant Health Division, contact details are available on the Bee
Health - Introduction page.
Defra strengthens bee health biosecurity in England
New legislation to protect the health of the English honey bee population came into force on 17 March. The Bee Diseases and Pests Control (England) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006 No. 342) revokes the Bee Diseases Control Order 1982 and the Importation of Bees Order 1997, which no longer apply in England.
The Bee Diseases and Pests Control (England) Order 2006 includes revised measures to control the notifiable diseases, American foul brood and European foul brood, and introduces new controls for the exotic bee pests, the small hive beetle and tropilaelaps mites, both of which are now notifiable. As an extra precaution against the introduction and spread of the small hive beetle in particular, beekeepers and other businesses, such as wax refiners, honey processors and fruit and plant importers must notify the National Bee Unit if they suspect the presence of the pest in their colonies or premises.
Beekeepers will no longer need to notify the National Bee Unit about
incidence of varroa, as it is now endemic and routinely managed. The Statutory
Infected Area for varroa in England has been revoked by the following
Notice 
(10KB).
The Order also implements post import controls defined in EC legislation (Commission Decision 2003/881/EC (as amended)) for consignments of bees imported from third countries. Importers are required to transfer imported queen bees to new cages before introducing them to local colonies, and to send the cages in which the bees were transported from the third country of origin, the attendant worker bees and any other material that accompanied the consignment to the Central Science Laboratory for examination for the presence of notifiable bee pests.
A Guidance Note
(49KB) about the Order is available.
England & Wales Contingency Plan for Exotic Pests and Disease
As part of the Government's commitment to protect the health of the honey bee population, Defra wrote to beekeeping associations and other interested stakeholders to consult on a draft contingency plan to respond to an outbreak of exotic bee pests or diseases in England or Wales. The deadline for any comments on the draft contingency plan was 12 May 2006.
Defra Meeting with National Beekeeping Associations: 9 December 2005
The minutes of Defra's annual meeting with the national beekeeping associations
in the UK on 9 December 2005 are now available
(65KB)
Lord Bach's meeting with the British Beekeepers' Association on 10 November 2005
Lord Bach, issued a statement
(12KB) following his meeting with Dr Ian Gibson MP and representatives
of the British Beekeepers'
Association on 10 November 2005.
Managing Varroa
The Central Science Laboratory and Defra has updated its advisory leaflet
'Managing Varroa'
(1720KB). The leaflet describes the biology of the mite, how it can be
recognised and monitored, the latest approaches beekeepers can use to
control infestation in their hives, and a look ahead to the future.
Tropilaelaps: a parasitic mite of honey bees
The Central Science Laboratory and Defra has produced a new advisory leaflet that describes the Asian bee mites Tropilaelaps spp (Tropilaelaps clareae and Tropilaelaps koenigerum), which are potential new threats to European beekeeping. The leaflet provides details of how the mites can be recognised and controlled. The mites are exotic to the European Community but are notifiable throughout. Beekeepers in England who suspect the presence of Tropilaelaps in their apiaries should immediately contact their Regional Bee Inspector or the National Bee Unit.
Defra Meeting with National Beekeeping Associations in England: 14 February 2005
The minutes
(36Kb) of Defra's meeting with the national beekeeping associations in
England on 14 February 2005 are now available. A glossary
(6Kb) of terms used in the minutes and an annex
(20Kb) providing an update of the National Bee Unit's applied experimental
programme in respect of its work developing and evaluating the 'shook
swarm' technique for the control of European foul brood disease are also
available.
Some documents are in Portable Document Format (),
a copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader is available free of charge.
Page last modified:
25 Jan 2008
Page published: 5 Oct 2006