BBKA ADM Small Hive Beetle

[Hivemaker.]

I try to be more cheerful than that.

I thought a bit of educational light reading might cheer things up a bit, and maybe help folks to be more prepared, should the worst happen.

 

[Stiffy]

I try to be more cheerful than that. We kept rabies out forever, essentially.

We havnt kept rabies out, there has been ,I beleive 3-4 deaths contracted from bites in the UK. We have thankfully kept it under control, its also a very huge jump from SHB getting here than an out of control rabies influx.
S

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[fatshark]

The very few rabies deaths in the UK have been from bat lyssavirus … a very close relative of rabies virus that infects dogs. There may have been deaths from individuals bitten by dogs abroad also … rabies can have an unusually long incubation period (weeks or months in rare instances). Bats migrate and may have brought the lyssavirus with them. UK bats may carry the virus anyway … bats appear to be unusually resistant to a number of viruses that are very serious human pathogens (Ebola, SARS etc.).

However, the rabies virus mentioned above is not present in the UK.

The reality is that we have kept rabies out by not allowing the importation of it with dogs by the imposition of quarantine and/or vaccination rules. There has also been a very widespread and hugely effective vaccination campaign in Europe - dropping rabies vaccine-dosed carcasses for foxes etc. to feed on, and therefore get vaccinated.

With every infectious disease and parasite - Ebola, rabies, Varroa and SHB - the very best way to stop it from spreading is to prevent it arriving in the first place. It certainly isn't guaranteed … these things can spread naturally from host to host, or colony to colony and there will undoubtedly be unscrupulous and idiotic individuals who will import illegally (which was how SHB got to Portugal in 2004 from Texas). However, prevention is better than cure and this type of isolation should be the first protective measure implemented to protect UK beekeeping - both hobby and businesses.

PS The UK was declared rabies-free in 1922 when quarantine regulations were imposed. Since 1919 every case of rabies in the UK was acquired abroad. There have been about 20 cases since 1919 in the UK. There have been one or two (only) infections with European bat lyssavirus, most recently there was a death in 2002 of a bat handler in Angus, Scotland. The success the UK has had in eradicating rabies forms a very good example of what can be achieved if a pathogen is excluded from a country … this is precisely the type of justification that should be made for the banning of imports of live bees from Europe.

 

[madasafish]

Can someone advise me how an import ban would work?

After all, Bee Queens can be sent in easily disguised envelopes.

No point in a ban if easily circumvented...

(Ship to another country first, job done).

 

[Norton]

There isn't going to be an import ban - so don't worry about it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I would fully support restrictions on importing colonies/packages but cannot see any problem with importing queens (the only people who would benefit from that ban are the AMM taliban and similar zealots anyway)

 

[mbc]

I would fully support restrictions on importing colonies/packages but cannot see any problem with importing queens (the only people who would benefit from that ban are the AMM taliban and similar zealots anyway)

It was introduced to Portugal in queen cages.

There isn't going to be an import ban - so don't worry about it.

The snowball has started rolling, if it gathers enough momentum who knows what will happen, for sure, any change is as welcome as a turd in a handbag to our border inspection service or legislators, and the nbu wouldn't dream of rocking the boat by suggesting that we might possibly be better off by protecting our bees, but it may still, just possibly, become politically expedient for uk gov to make a noise on this one.
I wouldn't have thought there's any need to ban imports from Cyprus unless you get the beetles before us anyway.

 

[Moggett]

It was introduced to Portugal in queen cages.



The snowball has started rolling, if it gathers enough momentum who knows what will happen, for sure, any change is as welcome as a turd in a handbag to our border inspection service or legislators, and the nbu wouldn't dream of rocking the boat by suggesting that we might possibly be better off by protecting our bees, but it may still, just possibly, become politically expedient for uk gov to make a noise on this one.
I wouldn't have thought there's any need to ban imports from Cyprus unless you get the beetles before us anyway.

If we had it here the movement of bees from this country would be banned in a blink of an eye by Europe.

 

[fatshark]

Maybe Norton can confirm … multiple queen imports must be separately caged with attendants, rather than with the queen alone with workers poured over the top in those battery-type cages?? If the latter then there might well be issues …

Original resized from http://philcrafthivecraft.com/?p=780

 

[Norton]

Hello,
Here we put up to 8 attendant bees in the cage with the queen. The attendant bees come from a hive specially prepared for the purpose each spring. Worker bees and brood combs are taken from this hive by the vets every 30 days for testing.

This of course means more work for us rather than using the method shown in the above photo. The method of having loose attendant is common in the USA.

Some things must be said about this situation;
1. The imports into Portugal in 2004 were illegal as imports from the continental USA were not permitted at the time - the imports came from Texas. The vets caught it in time and eradicated it.

2. Officially Athena tumida is not now present in the EU. ALL the infected hives AND all the other hives in the apiaries have been burnt. NO movement of bees from the 100km zone around the infected apiary. No vet would risk his job and sign off a certificate.

3. So, a ban already exists for the "danger zone". A ban on imports from other areas is not possible for a member state to impose unilaterally. I agree that full colonies, nucs and packages should not be permitted and really I cannot see how a vet would be able to certify that they are clear. Queen bees from anywhere outside the "danger zone" shouldn't be a problem.

4. The SHB can also infect Bombus nests - this, I can see is a real problem, as hundreds of thousands of these are moved around the EU each year for greenhouse pollination. These nests cannot be fully inspected.

5. The problem is that as beekeepers you are lobbying about Apis when it is Bombus that you should be concerned about and we can all only hope that the vets in Italy have managed to contain and have eradicated it. If they haven't and it has managed to spread it is only a matter of time before it is introduced into the UK.

6. It must be stressed to anyone reading this and to association members that if they have to import queen bees that they follow the rules and make sure they get the official paperwork with the queens.

7. Maybe all queen bee imports should have the queen removed, placed into a fresh cage and the bees/cages/boxes that they came in be incinerated or at least put into a plastic bag which is then put in a freezer for 48 hours.

That's all folks!

 

[fatshark]

Here we put up to 8 attendant bees in the cage with the queen

Thanks Norton, but is that an EU requirement or just what you do as a responsible exporter?

 

[Norton]

Hello,
I think the maximum number in the cage is 20 - but that might only apply only to imports from third countries. 8 is OK for us - more and they might eat all the cage candy.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It was introduced to Portugal in queen cages.



The snowball has started rolling

1,105 signatures - call me Dave must be sh*tting himself

 

[Teemore]

Have to agree with Norton about the Bombus issue. Had a briefing on the Irish Pollinators strategy on Saturday past (Applies to Ireland, North and South and parallels the Welsh initiative etc) and the speaker highlighted the number of at risk species of Bumble and solitary bee in the island of Ireland. When I asked him, he confirmed there is a real concern about the spread of SHB via the nests of Bombus spp. etc and a greater concern about some species being wiped out. Perhaps we should be telling our political representatives to address this wider threat to our environment. I believe environmental threats are one of the reasons why free movement of goods and services within Europe can be restricted.

 

[itma]

... Had a briefing on the Irish Pollinators strategy on Saturday past (Applies to Ireland, North and South and parallels the Welsh initiative etc) and the speaker highlighted the number of at risk species of Bumble and solitary bee in the island of Ireland. When I asked him, he confirmed there is a real concern about the spread of SHB via the nests of Bombus spp. etc and a greater concern about some species being wiped out. Perhaps we should be telling our political representatives to address this wider threat to our environment. I believe environmental threats are one of the reasons why free movement of goods and services within Europe can be restricted.

It would be helpful to know who to attribute this information to.
Who was "the speaker" ???

 

[Stiffy]

I have quickly looked through and cant see any mention of SHB but hopefully, although I doubt very much BBKA will be petitioning to add SMB to the new regulations?
From my professional organisation with links to the new regulations.
http://www.cieem.net/news/219/eu-governments-to-begin-invasive-species-action

S

 

[Tom Bick]

Don't we have a number of bans in place for countries with SHB right now. So surely if we don't impose one now for Italy we may as well lift all the existing bans.

 

[mbc]

Don't we have a number of bans in place for countries with SHB right now. So surely if we don't impose one now for Italy we may as well lift all the existing bans.

Hadn't thought of that, good spot!
The distinction is Italy is in the eu though, harder to legislate against free trade.

 

[Tom Bick]

Yes mbc politically it may be difficult especially as Cameron is a laughing stock in Europe and running scared with an election looming. But nothing to stop the BBKA calling for a ban. The BBKA may as well call for a lifting of all bans if they don't think bee imports are a risk the the UK.

 

[Stiffy]

Don't we have a number of bans in place for countries with SHB right now. So surely if we don't impose one now for Italy we may as well lift all the existing bans.

I am sure that the Italians are attempting to eradicate SHB so adding them to the list of countries seems a little extreme. A temporary restriction would be more appropriate.
S