quarantine protocols?

[Peter Armitage]

Somewhat like the Isle of Man in the U.K., we beekeepers in Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada) enjoy a special status in that we are free of Varroa destructor, tracheal mites, American foulbrood, European foulbrood, wax moths, Nosema ceranae, small hive beetles, and various viruses that plague honey bees elsewhere in the world. We would like to maintain this pathogen free status for as long as possible, for obvious reasons, and that's why we support enhanced regulation by our provincial government with respect to the importation of honey bees, bumble bees, and used beekeeping equipment. At the same time we need to import genetics in order to foster resistance to various nasties (we have a limited gene pool with about 500 colonies, only two serious breeders). The safest options re. minimizing the risk of importing nasties seems to be semen and eggs. We will need to quarantine apiaries with the introduced genetics. Can anyone point me to quarantine protocols used in the U.K. or elsewhere in Europe?

 

[B+.]

Can anyone point me to quarantine protocols used in the U.K. or elsewhere in Europe?

I import micro pipettes of drone semen into the UK from The Netherlands for mating A.m.c within the BeeBreed group. No special protocols are necessary, indeed these don't even have to go through the TRACES system which tracks live animals.
I also receive live queens with several accompanying workers in travelling cages. These are reported in TRACES and are accompanied by health certificates and import documents issued by the EU. I have to send a copy of the health certificate to the National Bee Unit. The queens are established in their own apiary for testing purposes which includes looking for any susceptibility to pests and disease.

 

[Teemore]

It may be worth your while contacting Harry Owens, President of the Isle of Man Beekeepers and one of the people instrumental in confirming that varroa free status: http://www.iombeekeepers.com/contact-iom-beekeepers/

 

[Peter Armitage]

Thanks for the above. I have been in contact with Harry Owens. Your import regs. look different because of your membership in the EU (while it lasts). Our import regs re. outside Canada sources are WTO-based supported by the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (aka the OIE). But there is nothing there that speaks in detail to quarantine protocols; these are left to individual provincial governments, it would seem.