AFB in Scotland

[keithgrimes]

I hae been informed today by the local association that a prominent commercial beekeeper in West Lothian has a case of AFB.

 

[Poly Hive]

Can you give a name?

PH

 

[Black Comb]

Beebase may help.

This gives live up-to-date (well fairly) reports on 10km squares.

https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/afbReport.cfm

Also one for EFB.

 

[Hivemaker.]

From a post on BBKA forum.

July 16, 2010


Bee Disease Confirmed
American Foulbrood found in West Lothian

An outbreak of American Foulbrood (AFB), a disease affecting honeybees, has been found in an apiary in West Lothian.

The disease was discovered today (July 16) by a Scottish Government Bee Inspector.

A 5km Infected Area has been declared around the apiary, located between Linlithgow and Kirkliston. The movement of bees and related equipment is prohibited, except under licence from the Scottish Government.

The infected area extends from the Forth in the north to Uphall and Broxburn in the south, and from Linlithgow in the west to between Winchburgh and Kirkliston in the east. Bee inspectors will be carrying out inspections on apiaries in the area in coming days.

Hives with AFB must be destroyed as there is no known treatment. There are no risks to public health from AFB and no implications for the quality and safety of honey.

Beekeepers are urged to check their hives and notify any suspicion of disease to [email protected].

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

Beekeepers in the area of this outbreak who are not on Beebase are requested to send their contact details to [email protected]

Background

AFB is a notifiable disease under The Bee Diseases and Pests Control (Scotland) Order 2007. It kills off bee larva, is highly contagious and difficult to eradicate.

There were outbreaks of AFB and European Foulbrood (EFB) in Scotland during 2009. The Scottish Government and bee stakeholders have created an EFB control strategy for 2010. This involves a heightened level of inspections, biosecurity, quarantine measures and movement reporting.

Last month the Scottish Government launched the first Honey Bee Health Strategy to tackle the causes of declining bee health. The Strategy focuses on four areas, i) education, training and Knowledge transfer, ii) communication, ii) surveillance, diagnosis and biosecurity, iv) Research and Development


Up to the minute information, and details on how to register on BeeBase, can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/beehealth.

Contact
Duty Communications : 0131 556 8400
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I Expect young Gavin will know more about what is going on than anyone,but i don't think individual names of people affected are needed, or made availible.

 

[gavin]

From a post on BBKA forum.

..... (snip) .....

I Expect young Gavin will know more about what is going on than anyone,but i don't think individual names of people affected are needed, or made availible.

And on ... well ... another forum and another website further north.

*Young* Gavin?!! Thanks Pete ...

Yes, I know who owns the bees but I'm not telling. We're hoping that this might be a case picked up elsewhere and caught at a very early stage (which the infected colony was), but there are inspectors looking around now to check it out.

Even if it remains as an isolated case, the owner will take a big financial hit if his bees are stranded until the heather season (the lucrative one for bee farmers in these parts) is almost over.

 

[Midland Beek]

Are there many beeks in Scotland who think it's a good idea to go to the heather this year?

 

[Poly Hive]

Why would they not?

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

Being as it's there most lucrative crop,they would be nuts not to.....especially after the cold late spring and general crap weather up there.

 

[MuswellMetro]

..especially after the cold late spring and general crap weather up there.

but is it not always like that....sitting in my lounger in sunny London 29c at 7.00 in the evening

bees buzzing on the flowers

 

[gavin]

Our summer hasn't been quite as good as further south. OK, the spring and early summer was fine, but we've missed out on the warmth many of you have been having.

Are there many beeks in Scotland who think it's a good idea to go to the heather this year?

Last year at this time I gave out advice to the SBA members that essentially was suggesting not to come into Tayside from outside it, but that within Tayside there was infection in the lowlands and in heather moors too so folk ought to be careful and make their own decisions. At that time EFB was out of control, AFB was also around, and some beekeepers had already taken infected stocks into the hills. This year the discoveries of foulbrood of both types are on a much smaller scale, less than anyone had hoped. Add to that an organised team of bee inspectors well on in their search through colonies at risk, and the overall risk this year will be much lower. Another thing to consider is that - as far as I am aware - EFB has not jumped into any amateur beekeeper's bees, so this year the risk to amateurs from EFB must be pretty low.

Bee farmers will have to make their own decisions too. The risk of catching more disease isn't that high for any particular apiary, but if it does happen then the consequences - in terms of Standstill - may be more serious. My guess is that folk will be trying harder to keep their bees away from the apiaries of others so as to avoid the 5 km circles.

This case shows that AFB is around too, as it was historically, and may pop up anywhere.

G.

 

[Poly Hive]

I rather suspect an awful lot of the beekeepers south of the border have not much of an idea of just how much heather there is.

100's of square miles in fact.

Funny how so many know France well yet have never been north of the border.

*shrug*

PH

 

[gavin]

For those who haven't been try http://maps.google.co.uk on the Satellite setting and search for Pitlochry or Aberfeldy or Aviemore.

When the heather isn't purple it is generally colour-coded brown. As you can see there is indeed a lot of it, most of it inaccessible to trucks, trailers and private cars with a cargo of hives hoping for some fine, warm weather after enough rain to wet the peat.

G.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Sure is a lot of heather moors.....i lived at Kinloch Rannoch...and tramped over many miles of it in my younger days.....just a good holiday destination these days.. not very often...Don't know much about France or really want to.

 

[Freer4]

Sure is a lot of heather moors.....i lived at Kinloch Rannoch...and tramped over many miles of it in my younger days.....just a good holiday destination these days.. not very often...Don't know much about France or really want to.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hivemaker.]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well done...i suggest you chuck the bloody thing in the garbage bin.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Well done...i suggest you chuck the bloody thing in the garbage bin.

Sent from my Strawberry

 

[Rosti]

Sent from my Strawberry

Presumably using the *raptalk app?

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Presumably using the *raptalk app?

No I do not have that app, but a lot of others do, can you lend me it?

 

[Haughton Honey]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That'll be the 5th time I've seen that message on here......with no message in it!

 

[Poly Hive]

Modern comms then, the message is all......but there is no message.

PH