Bee Health Improvement Partnership minutes: April 2026

Attendees and apologies

• Scottish Government Animal Health and Welfare (SGAHW), Bee Health Policy Lead and Chair
• Head of Animal Welfare and Bee Health, SGAHW
• Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspection Division (SGRPID), Bee Health Delivery Lead
• Scottish Beekeepers’ Association (SBA),  Bee Health Convener
• Bee Farmers’ Association (BFA), Membership Services
• The Apiarist
• SBA, Development Officer and Magazine Editor
• BFA, Scottish Representative
• NatureScot
• Welsh Government (WG)
• National Bee Unit (NBU)

Apologies

• Scottish Government Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SGSASA), Senior Entomologist
• SGSASA, Entomology Manager
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
• NBU
• Scottish Native Honey Bee Society (SNHBS)
• SGAHW, Veterinary Advisor (Bee Health)  
• Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Bee Health Education Lead

Items and actions

Welcome, introductions and apologies 

The chair welcomed everyone to the meeting noting attendees/apologies as above

Minutes of previous meeting and review of actions

The minutes of the previous quarterly meeting held on 3 February 2026 were agreed and accepted as an accurate record after the last meeting but cannot be published due to the pre election period.  They will be published as soon as possible.
Swarming guidance: Work ongoing and initial progress reflected in SRUC quarterly report.
Action: Secretariat to follow up offline and report back.

Updates from Devolved Administrations

Welsh Government
•    One yellow legged hornet nest identified in Wrexham in January which had been destroyed by pest controller in late September 2025
•    Spring trapping underway from early April within a 5 km radius, led by NBU, alongside Welsh Beekeeping Association activity
•    No queens detected to date
•    Trapping aimed at surveillance and awareness raising given first confirmed Welsh detection

Quarterly reports

•    Reports circulated in advance
•    No questions raised

Scottish Government update

•    Attendance at NBU Technical Conference in March noted as valuable
•    Proposal to bring forward a strategic refresh of the Honey Bee Health Strategy for the latter half of the ten year cycle (from 2027 onwards). Aim is to clarify priorities, sequencing, and narrative without changing delivery responsibilities
•    Proposal expected later in 2026, subject to workload
•    Group agreed in principle
Action: SG to develop proposal and present to the BHIP at the final meeting of the year.

Partner updates

SG Delivery
•    Early start to European Foulbrood (EFB) season: two confirmed cases (late April)
•    Inspector training scheduled for early May; field inspections to commence 11 May (weather permitting)
•    Inspector resource: nine inspectors nationally, broadly in line with previous years

Bee Farmers Association Scottish Representative
•    Seasonal movements underway
•    Inspections and surveillance expected to intensify from next week

NatureScot
•    Engagement at Perth event on yellow legged hornet welcomed
•    Blog published following British Irish Council webinar on invasive species
•    Pollinator annual report ready but publication delayed due to election
•    Noted upcoming retirement and future need to refresh Scotland’s Pollinator Strategy (2027)

Scottish Beekeepers’ Association
•    Annual General Meeting held successfully at SRUC Aberdeen
•    Invitation extended for BHIP presence at the Highland Show honey tent
•    Honey survey closing shortly; early indication of £1 per jar price increase
•    Ongoing training activity underway

Bee Farmers Association
•    Two bee health days planned (East and West England)
•    Strong demand for bees noted following significant overwinter losses in some areas

SPS Agreement (UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement)

•    Early stages of proposed SPS agreement aiming for implementation from mid 2027
•    Would involve dynamic alignment with European Union SPS rules, covering: 
o    Animal and plant health
o    Movement and trade of bees and bee products
o    Food and feed safety
•    Scottish Government and Defra workshops underway; implications for beekeeping not yet clear
•    Group emphasised importance of early and clear communication with the sector
•    Commitment given to keep BHIP members updated as negotiations progress

European Foulbrood Strategy Review

•    Agreement that any changes must be evidence led and transparent
•    Current position: 
o    Focus on multi year learning and evidence building
o    No new mandatory controls proposed at this stage
•    A longer term review is planned, with interim “soft launch” steps from 2027

 Action: Paper outlining proposed direction and milestones to be brought to a next BHIP meeting.

AOB

Varroa and treatment free beekeeping
•    Noted increasing interest in treatment free approaches, especially among newer beekeepers
•    Concerns raised about high losses associated with non treatment in some areas
•    Emphasis agreed on: 
o    Monitoring as the foundation of good Varroa management
o    Clear, consistent messaging on IPM and evidence based decision making
•    NBU data indicates a rise in reported non treatment practices in recent years
•    Members invited to suggest further education or communications activity

Queen rearing and imports
Members noted increasing discussion within the beekeeping community on domestic queen rearing and reduced reliance on imported queens. It was recognised that improving skills and education around queen rearing could be beneficial. However, it was agreed there is no policy position favouring United Kingdom reared queens over imports, which remain a legitimate and important supply. Any future work should focus on providing neutral, evidence based information to support informed beekeeper choice.

Events and engagement

•    Agreement to provide yellow legged hornet materials (models, posters, leaflets) for use at the Highland Show honey tent, rather than staffing the stand directly
•    Action: SG Delivery Lead and SBA to liaise on logistics

Next meeting

•    Provisional date: 14 July 2026
•    Concerns raised due to peak beekeeping season
Action: Secretariat to explore moving the meeting to August 2026 and confirm availability.