Bees can suffer from a variety of diseases, but the ones with the most impact to bees and beekeepers are brood diseases. These can range from the relatively mild such as chalkbrood to foulbrood, which can devastate not just one colony but a whole apiary or even further afield.
Foulbrood (both European and American) is a statutory notifiable disease, and so beekeepers are legally obligated to report any suspected diseased colonies under the Bee Diseases and Pests Control Order 2006 (as amended). This is done by contacting either the NBU or one of your local bee inspectors.
Foulbrood (both European and American) is a statutory notifiable disease, and so beekeepers are legally obligated to report any suspected diseased colonies under the Bee Diseases and Pests Control Order 2006 (as amended). This is done by contacting either the NBU or one of your local bee inspectors.
Recognising Foulbrood
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The National Bee Unit produces an excellent brochure on EFB and AFB, including how to recognise it.
You can find that brochure here. Fera Science released an educational video on YouTube: European Foulbrood We have put the spotlight on EFB and are re-doubling our efforts to encourage all beekeepers to check their brood for symptoms throughout the season. To assist us, our Education Officer Richard Bache MB has written a SBKA EFB leaflet which starts with the impact of EFB in Somerset (see left). He looks at the cause, prevention, signs, diagnosis and management of EFB through informative text and an excellent series of photos he has taken himself. |
SBKA Council in September 2019 decided to commit £2,000 for three years to a PhD research project which should help us to understand EFB better and give us some insight into the Somerset strain. Our contribution will be matched by BDI and FERA will fund the remainder. Currently FERA is recruiting a PhD student.
Characterisation and quantification of secreted factors from strains of the honey bee brood pathogen, Melissococcus plutonius (EFB) Supervisors: Kirsty Stainton at Fera Science Ltd. and Thorunn Helgason at University of York
You may be interested in Kirsty Stainton's lecture at the 2018 National Honey Show which shows how strong ST2 is in Somerset. The slide on treatment success is interesting as it suggests destruction of ST2.
Click here to take a look: nhs_bdi_lecture_oct_2018_2_.pdf
Characterisation and quantification of secreted factors from strains of the honey bee brood pathogen, Melissococcus plutonius (EFB) Supervisors: Kirsty Stainton at Fera Science Ltd. and Thorunn Helgason at University of York
You may be interested in Kirsty Stainton's lecture at the 2018 National Honey Show which shows how strong ST2 is in Somerset. The slide on treatment success is interesting as it suggests destruction of ST2.
Click here to take a look: nhs_bdi_lecture_oct_2018_2_.pdf
Reporting Foulbrood
The best way to report a suspected case of foulbrood is to contact one of your local bee inspectors.
The bee inspectors for Somerset are as follows:
The bee inspectors for Somerset are as follows:
- Regional Bee Inspector - Covering the whole South-West
- Simon Jones simon.jones@apha.gov.uk Tel No: 01823 442228 Mobile No: 07775 119459
- Seasonal Bee Inspector - covering Somerset
- Megan Seymour megan.seymour@apha.gov.uk Mobile No: 07775 119475
- Eleanor Burgess eleanor.burgess@apha.gov.uk Mobile No: 07775 119465
SBKA EFB Pilot compensation scheme
SBKA is continuing to run a £2,000 pilot EFB compensation scheme to supply a nuc to any member who loses all their bees in all their apiaries to EFB. In 2019 and 2020 there were no applications for compensation. For full details, download the file below.
| sbka_efb_2019_pilot_compensation_scheme.pdf |
