The UK Honey Bee population is fighting against an Asian parasitic mite called Varroa that has infiltrated the European Bee - Apis mellifera - colonies. It is feared that up to half of the UK's bees could be lost.
Every gardener needs bees to pollinate his plants, trees and shrubs so that reproduction can take place. The spread of Varroosis means that if a colony becomes infected and is not treated it will die out leading to environmental problems and it may upset the ecological balance.
DEFRA have issued an management advisory leaflet for those dealing with bees and concerned with their welfare.
The Varroa Destructor mite was first discovered in 1992 and became notifiable under bee health legislation. The spread of the mite, has now gained resistance from controls of products containing the active ingredient pyrethroid.
In 2003, a new product was authorised for treatment of the Varroa mite - Apiguard, which does not contain the same active ingredient has the ability to work where resistance had blocked the previous chemicals.
The Central Science Laboratory's National Bee Unit (NBU) issued these guidelines to beekeepers:
1. Avoid movement of bees out of the affected areas - this will only hasten the spread of resistance. If you are thinking of moving bees then you should be aware of the risks and thoroughly test them prior to their movement.
2. Check for evidence that pyrethroid treatments are working by regularly monitoring mite populations. If significant numbers of mites remain after treatment this may indicate resistance and you need to investigate urgently.
3. Use pyrethroid treatments (Apistan and Bayvarol) no more than you have to. Alternate their use with non-pyrethroid treatments (Apiguard) and biotechnical methods. Make sure you strictly follow the label instructions of any varroa treatment - this will maximise their useful working life.
4. Learn to test your own colonies for resistance using a resistance field test. If you think this is too difficult for you, then be prepared to ask for help from more experienced local beekeepers or from bee inspectors.
5. Learn about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - control of varroa using a variety of methods applied at different times in the year in conjunction with monitoring of varroa mite levels.
6. When you find evidence of mite resistance stop using pyrethroid treatments (Apistan and Bayvarol). They will no longer provide effective control of varroa and their use will only make the resistance problem worse. Instead you should use a non-pyrethroid varroacide (Apiguard) ideally in conjunction with biotechnical methods as part of an Integrated Pest Management programme.
The Beebase website has information on bee pests and diseases for those concerned.
Addition 26/08/08 - Since adding this information I have to say I am sorry that I overlooked the British Bee Keepers Association.
The BBKA website is probably one of the best sites I have seen in a long time. It is well maintained and packed with information that anyone interested in the welfare of bees will find useful.
Beedata is also a fantastic resource for anyone searching for information on bees.
Further reading: The importance of Bee health. and Save the British bee population.
Recent Comments