Pests and Disease

Honeybees can suffer from a range of pests and disease. As beekeepers, we are responsible for the health of our bees. There is plenty of information available to help identify disease problems with our bees.

Bee Disease Legislation

In the UK there are two notifiable bee diseases, American and European foulbrood. There are also two notifiable bee pests, the Small hive beetle and the Tropilaelaps mite. If you find signs of notifiable pests or disease in any of your colonies, you must contact your local bee inspector or the National Bee Unit (NBU) to request a free inspection of your bees. Failure to do so is an offence under the Bees Act 1980 and the Diseases and Pest Control Order 2006 (as amended), so do not delay. The legislation is quite clear that mere suspicion is enough, so it is better to be safe than sorry. You will also be protecting your fellow local beekeepers and their bees.

Beebase

BeeBase is the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) National Bee Unit website. It is designed for beekeepers and provides a wide range of apicultural information for beekeepers, to help keep their colonies healthy and productive. You can access Beebase here