Bee Health Improvement Partnership minutes: August 2026

Attendees and apologies

• Susan Curran, Scottish Government Animal Health and Welfare (SGAHW), Bee Health Policy Lead and Chair
• Nicola Kerr, SGAHW Head of Animal Welfare and Bee Health
• Kate Tyler, SGAHW Bee Health Policy Officer
• Luis Molero, SGAHW, Veterinary Advisor (Bee Health) 
• Claire Gill, Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspection Division (SGRPID), Bee Health Delivery Lead
• Matthew Richardson, Scottish Beekeepers’ Association (SBA), Bee Health Convener
• Michelle Berry, SBA, Development Officer and Magazine Editor
• Fiona Highet, Scottish Government Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SGSASA), Senior Entomologist 
• Mairi Carnegie, SGSASA, Entomology Manager
• Lorraine Johnston, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Bee Health Education Lead 

Observers

• Kirsty Stainton, National Bee Unit (NBU)

Apologies

• Belinda Phillipson, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
• David Evans, The Apiarist
• Murray McGregor, BFA, Scottish Representative
• Kathleen Carroll, Welsh Government (WG)
• Kate Wilson, NBU
• Gavin Ramsay, Scottish Native Honey Bee Society (SNHBS)
• Paul Barton, Bee Farmers’ Association (BFA), Membership Services
• Fiona McKenna, Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (Deara)

Items and actions

Welcome, introductions and apologies

The chair welcomed everyone to the meeting, noting attendees and apologies as listed above.

Minutes of previous meeting and review of actions

• the minutes from the previous quarterly meeting held on 28 April 2026 were agreed and published

• the planned draft proposal for the review of the European foulbrood (EFB) strategy was not brought to the meeting due to resource pressures. A developed proposal will be presented at the next meeting
• an update on swarming guidance would be provided later in the meeting
• Updates from devolved administrations
• Kirsty Stainton provided an update on NBU stakeholder guidance, Varroa monitoring guidance and future redevelopment of the brood calculator

Quarterly reports

Reports were circulated in advance.

No questions were raised.

Scottish Government update

• SPS negotiations remain ongoing and there is no further update at this time
• the Tropilaelaps and small hive beetle contingency plan remains under legal review. Once completed, a draft will be circulated to members
• members discussed a Scottish Parliament petition relating to beehives in public access spaces and the need for clear guidance on beekeeper responsibilities. Scottish Government advised that a response to the parliamentary committee is being prepared in collaboration with other relevant policy areas. Members noted that the issue extends beyond bee health and intersects with areas including public safety, public nuisance and access rights

Discussion highlighted:

• existing guidance produced by beekeeping organisations on responsible beekeeping, nuisance prevention and urban beekeeping
• the importance of increasing awareness of this guidance
• challenges associated with mandatory hive signage, including the potential for theft and vandalism
• the complexity of legal responsibilities relating to honey bees and the role of the courts in determining liability on a case-by-case basis
• existing beekeeper education and training relating to legal responsibilities and good practice

Partner updates

SG delivery update

Claire Gill reported:

• a challenging inspection season due to poor weather
• EFB incidence appears proportionally higher than last year. Twenty-two beekeepers have confirmed EFB and one AFB-positive hive has been identified
• members discussed the increasing occurrence of EFB in hobby and urban beekeeping settings, with inspectors noting that this trend will inform the development of a revised EFB control strategy
• inspectors will support yellow-legged hornet response work in Kent

SG SASA update

Mairi Carnegie and Fiona Highet provided an update on chronic bee paralysis virus work.

SRUC bee health education update

Lorraine Johnston provided a comprehensive update on stakeholder engagement and education activities, including:

• progress on the new SRUC beekeeping website, including resources on beginner beekeeping, responsible beekeeping, health management, videos and learning materials
• delivery of Bee Health Day 2026 in Inverness, which received positive feedback and sold out
• planning for Bee Health Day 2027, to be hosted by Border Beekeepers
• continued delivery of locally tailored association-led Bee Health Days
• delivery of stakeholder events, conferences, talks and demonstrations on topics including EFB, Varroa, swarming and yellow-legged hornet preparedness
• development of educational materials for winter association meetings

An update was also provided on work to develop public-facing and beekeeper guidance on swarming, including:

• a public information poster on swarm reporting
• guidance on swarm prevention, control and collection
• a wider communication plan to promote best practice before the 2027 swarming season

Any other business

No additional business was raised.

Actions

• Michelle Berry to circulate SBA guidance on responsible beekeeping
• Lorraine Johnston to upload educational materials to the shared honey bee health team folder
• Kirsty Stainton to share draft swarm management guidance with Lorraine Johnston
• Next meeting

Provisional date: 25 November 2026