The Scottish Government issued a news release this morning .......
Bee disease confirmed
American Foulbrood detected in Tarland, Aberdeenshire
An outbreak of American Foulbrood (AFB), a disease affecting colonies of honeybees, has been found in an apiary in the Tarland area of Aberdeenshire. This outbreak has been found as part of the Scottish Government’s Scotland-wide surveillance programme which will allow us to understand more about the disease and husbandry factors affecting honey bee health in Scotland.
The disease was confirmed today following laboratory diagnosis by Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA).
The AFB infected hive is being destroyed as there is no permitted treatment for the disease in the UK. There are no risks to public health from AFB and no implications for the quality and safety of honey. The movement of bees and related equipment into or out of the affected apiary are under specific controls.
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 and bee related issues.
Beekeepers in the area of this outbreak who are not on BeeBase are requested to register at: https://secure.csl.gov.uk/beebase/ or send their contact details to: BeesMailbox@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
