Rural Payments and Services

American and European foulbrood detected in apiaries in Glen Isla and Coupar Angus.

An investigation by Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) has confirmed two further cases of American foulbrood (AFB), a disease affecting colonies of honeybees, have been found.

The first case was found in a bee hive at a heather site in Glen Isla, with the source traced back to a second apiary in Coupar Angus in Perthshire. The second apiary contained no live bees but the bacteria was confirmed in debris on old frames. The disease has been confirmed by scientists in SASA labs, and both apiaries have been destroyed.

Both apiaries also contained European foulbrood. This is a significant development as this disease has largely been confined to the commercial sector.

The bees had recently been purchased from a non-commercial beekeeper. The new owner alerted Scottish Government Bee Inspectors to his concerns.Investigations are continuing as to whether this case is linked to the AFB case reported earlier in July near Alyth.

Beekeepers in the areas around Blairgowrie, Coupar Angus, Alyth and Meigle, as well as beekeepers in these areas who take their bees to the heather, are asked to be particularly vigilant for these diseases and to carry out specific health checks on their bees.

To date in 2015 we have confirmed in Scotland:

• 60 cases of EFB
• 5 cases of AFB

There are no risks to public health from these diseases and no implications for the quality and safety of honey. The movement of bees and related equipment into or out of the affected apiaries are under specific controls.

AFB is one of two notifiable bacterial honey bee diseases. The other is European foulbrood (EFB).

However, AFB is the more serious disease than EFB and must be dealt with quickly as it can be spread by honeybees themselves. There is no treatment permitted in the UK for AFB, colonies must be destroyed by burning and the hives sterilised. Bee farmers and beekeepers are being urged to be vigilant for signs of the disease, to maintain good husbandry practices and to notify any suspicion of disease to BeesMailbox@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

In order to assist Scottish Government Bee Inspectors to control this and other diseases, beekeepers are urged to register on BeeBase, the national bee database. This will give them access to up-to-date information on the control of AFB, EFB and other bee related issues.

Beekeepers in the area of this outbreak who are not on BeeBase are requested to register at: https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/register.cfm or send their contact details to: BeesMailbox@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.