Bee Health Improvement Partnership minutes: May 2025

Attendees and apologies

Attendees:

• Scottish Government (SG), Animal Health and Welfare (AHW), Head of Animal Welfare and Bee Health and Chair
• SGAHW, Veterinary Advisor (Bee Health)  
• SGAHW, Bee Health Policy Lead
• SGAHW, Bee Health Policy Officer 
• SGSASA, Senior Entomologist
• SGRPID, Bee Health Delivery Lead
• Scottish Beekeepers’ Association (SBA), President and Bee Health Convener
• Bee Farmers’ Association, Membership Services
• SRUC, Bee Health Advisor
• Scottish Native Honey Bee Society (SNHBS) representative
• David Evans

Observers:

• Welsh Government (WG) representative
• National Bee Unit (NBU) Technical Literature Manager
• SGAHW Student Placement

Apologies:

• SGSASA, Entomology Manager
• SBA, Development Officer and Magazine Editor
• Bee Farmers’ Association, Scottish Representative
• NatureScot representative
• Defra Policy Team
• Head of NBU

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 11 February 2025 were agreed and accepted as an accurate record after the last meeting and subsequently published on the SG bee health web pages.

Actions are recorded in the Implementation Plan and key updates were provided against each of the Pillars in the Plan as follows:  

Education, Training and Knowledge Transfer

The Bee Health Advisor confirmed that this year’s Bee Health Day will take place in Irvine on 28th June. A new ticketing system has been implemented, with tickets now available for purchase via Eventbrite. There are 38 spaces in total, with the first 20 tickets reserved for local associations. There has already been interest from associations in Inverness and the Borders regarding the location for next year’s Bee Health Day. Regarding the education modules, the Bee Health Advisor reported they are nearing completion. An accessibility check is still required to ensure they meet the standards necessary for publication on the SRUC website. The modules will be shared with the BHIP for comment before publication. A new beekeeping page on the website is also scheduled to go live shortly. The Bee Health Advisor shared the link with the group and welcomed any feedback to be sent directly to her.

Members would also be given access to an MS Teams folder to review the education modules and provide feedback.

The Bee Health Advisor also invited suggestions on how best to engage with smaller commercial businesses, including any challenges they face and the types of information they would find most useful.

Communication and Partnership Working

SG Policy confirmed that the 2024 BHIP Annual Report was published on 21 March 2025. The report provides an overview of the activities and progress of the BHIP during the second year of Scotland’s second 10-year Honey Bee Health Strategy. SG Policy extended their thanks to all who contributed to the report and supported its dissemination through their communication channels.

Pest and Disease surveillance, prevention, diagnosis, and control

The Bee Health Delivery Lead provided an update on ongoing efforts to produce an updated Varroa map, which will display the current distribution of Varroa in Scotland.

SG Policy confirmed that work has commenced on drafting a Pest-Specific Contingency Plan, aimed at addressing potential outbreaks of Small Hive Beetle and Tropilaelaps in Scotland.

The Bee Health Delivery Lead provided a summary of the recent Contingency Exercise for the Yellow-legged Hornet, conducted in March to test the operational delivery of the Plan. The exercise was successful, particularly in terms of communication, but it revealed some weaknesses in the process of nest destruction. Efforts are now underway in collaboration with NatureScot to address these issues. A second exercise is planned for next year.

Research and Development

A report detailing the results of the nationwide survey on the distribution of European Foulbrood (EFB) across Scotland has been drafted and will be circulated to the group ahead of publication.

The BFA representative and SBA President had been tasked with producing a report on the economic impact of EFB at both the business and individual levels. The SBA President confirmed that he submitted costings for hobbyist beekeepers. The SRUC analysis report, commissioned by SG to assess the economic impact of EFB and the sustainability of current control measures, has factored in these costings and is expected to be completed soon.

Swarm Management and Responsibility

The SBA President introduced the item, which arose from SBA members raising concerns about swarm-related issues. The discussion centred around two key questions: First, what is considered best practice for managing swarms in areas where there are active foulbrood notifications? Second, given that swarm collection is a voluntary activity, what should happen when there is little or no willingness within the beekeeping community to respond to swarms deemed 'risky'?

The following issues were discussed:

Responsibility and Risk: There is no accepted responsibility for swarms and their capture and relocation is reliant on good will. Conversely, some beekeepers actively seek swarms as a source of free bees. If the swarm lodges, there is a risk in terms of being a source of infection.

Challenges in Culling: culling swarms can be problematic as few are willing to undertake it.

Quarantine Recommendations: SG already recommend that swarms of unknown origins should be collected and isolated in a quarantine apiary for a minimum of six weeks, equivalent to two brood cycles, and inspected for signs of disease before they are brought into contact with other colonies. The concept of establishing isolation (quarantine) apiaries at association level was discussed. While potentially beneficial for biosecurity, the practicality of quarantining every collected swarm especially in densely populated beekeeping areas like the Lothians was questioned. Challenges include finding suitable locations and the financial and logistical burden on hobbyist beekeepers.

EFB Transmission: the group discussed if there was any data which shows EFB is largely spread by swarms. Risk of transmission is mainly through beekeepers and movements. However, there is evidence that a swarm which has come from an EFB colony will carry subclinical levels of EFB with the potential to develop EFB. Any risk with swarms depends on several factors such as where it has come from, the genetics of the bees etc but the risk can be reduced through best practice guidance.

Standstill Clarification: it was discussed whether swarm alerts could be provided to beekeepers in a standstill area, but it was clarified that there are no standstill areas when disease is found, it is the apiary which is under standstill so that approach would not apply.

Culling vs Quarantine – Strategic Balance: Should the group recommend culling swarms in notification areas as best practice, the implications on beekeeper willingness to engage with the process must be considered. Mandating culling may reduce swarm collection rates. A more balanced approach may be to recommend the use of quarantine apiaries where feasible.

Paid Swarm Culling Service: In cases where swarms are found in known infected zones, and collection is impractical or undesirable, it was proposed that SG could offer a paid service for culling swarms. However, it was acknowledged that if the swarm has not lodged, there may be little incentive for anyone to pay for its collection or destruction.

Working Group Proposal: there was a suggestion to have a separate working group on this topic, however, it was noted that this had been suggested at the last BHIP and there had been no subsequent appetite then, and members at this meeting did not agree that one was needed.

Pest Control Concerns: it was highlighted that pest controllers often avoid dealing with honey bees due to challenges in completely removing honey (which can attract pests) and long-term liability concerns. Additionally, public opposition to the killing of bees can create reputational risks.

Natural Beekeeping: The group noted that natural beekeepers often encourage swarming, which raises concern in the context of disease management.

EFB Strategy Context: the group acknowledged that future plans for EFB management will influence current discussions and actions.

Enforcement Actions: There was discussion about potential actions Bee Inspectors might take against beekeepers with poor swarm control and confirmed EFB presence. SASA’s subclinical testing has shown that colonies in infected apiaries may carry EFB even without clinical signs. This raised the question of whether such colonies should be culled. While this has not been standard practice, legislation under The Bee Diseases and Pests Control (Scotland) Order 2007 (Article 7, paragraph 3) grants Inspectors the authority to take necessary actions to prevent the spread of disease.

The group discussed a range of potential actions which would help to improve swarm management and reduce the risk of disease spread:

Prevention Focus: the BHIP should concentrate on prevention of swarms and promote good swarm management and control e.g. queen clipping.

Standardised Best Practice Guidance: there was strong support for the development of standardised guidance outlining best practices for swarm collection and management. The SBA President indicated that such guidance could be integrated into the SBA’s education syllabus for local associations. Guidance could also be prepared for pest controllers.

Stage-Specific Guidance: The proposed guidance could include tailored recommendations based on the stage or context of swarm management.

Improved Swarm management advice in outbreak areas: It was suggested that information on swarms and associated best practices be included in the 3 km disease notification emails issued to registered beekeepers. Care would be needed in the messaging to encourage responsible collection while avoiding discouragement of necessary action. The group discussed the potential to integrate the existing EFB distribution maps (available on BeeBase) into the 3 km disease notification emails. The Bee Health Delivery Lead noted the existing EFB heat map flyer, which is already used in presentations, could also help highlight high-risk areas and inform beekeeper decision-making.

Raising Awareness and Education: The group agreed on the importance of broader education efforts to promote responsible swarm management. This could include:

• Publishing articles in the BFA and SBA magazines.
• Providing advice on relevant websites (SG and SRUC).

Training and Support for Cut-Out Collectors: a pest controller/beekeeping business involved in cut-outs requested inspection support from Bee Inspectors. Due to limited resources, this cannot currently be offered. However, the Bee Health Delivery Lead plans to meet the enquirer to discuss best practice. It was noted that the National Bee Unit (NBU) provides advice and training days to pest controllers, and a similar event could be considered for Scotland.  

Engagement with Other Organisations: The group suggested outreach to relevant organisations such as:

• British Bee Removers Association
• UK Bee Removers
• The Loch Ness Honey Company (which coordinates cut-outs across Scotland).

Peer-to-Peer Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging beekeepers to share experiences and techniques among peers was identified as a valuable method for promoting best practices. This would require identifying individuals with the right skills to lead and disseminate information. The BFA representative's queen-rearing sessions could potentially be expanded to include swarm control training.

Action: SG Policy to create an Action Plan in conjunction with BHIP to identify what actions can be taken and by whom.

SG policy to develop an Options Appraisal Paper describing the different stages of swarm management (e.g. preventing swarms, once its swarmed, the management of collected swarms and if its lodged and needs collected) and recommended best practices for each stage e.g. education, engagement etc for circulation to the BHIP.

Update on imports

The Veterinary Advisor for Bee Health provided the group with an update on ongoing discussions regarding a new trade agreement and current issues related to Northern Ireland (NI). He highlighted concerns about the movement of live animals from NI to Great Britain (GB), particularly with the shortage of Bee Inspectors in NI. Bees were cited as an example of how NI is being used as a route to divert the movement of live animals, bypassing direct routes to GB which is a consequence of where we are with domestic legislation post Brexit which have created barriers and additional costs. There has also been intelligence that the illegal movement of bees has increased. Additionally, there was discussion about the need to clarify the definition of "NI qualifying goods." The Veterinary Advisor for Bee Health reaffirmed the SG’s position that trade must be transparent to enable inspectors to assess risks effectively. Discussions with Defra are ongoing in search of practical solutions.

It was acknowledged that the NI route, whilst not ideal, is a legitimate one and makes economic sense for importers. The Bee Health Delivery Lead confirmed that at a recent meeting of the UK administrations, the NI Bee Inspector was present and stated that all imported queens are being inspected. However, it was noted that foulbrood inspections are not currently taking place.

Any Other Business

Bee Diseases Insurance

The Bee Health Delivery Lead informed the group that she had spoken with Martin Smith from Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI) during the recent NBU Conference regarding “Scheme B.” This scheme would be available to individuals owning or intending to own 40 or more colonies, offering a maximum compensation of £5,000. The Bee Health Delivery Lead raised the possibility of the BFA consulting their Scottish small-scale members to gauge interest.

The BFA representative for membership services noted that the scheme does not cover bees, and as a result, the Board and membership decided not to pursue it further. However, it was acknowledged that the scheme may appeal to members with 50 or more hives, and there was support for discussing it at the next Scotland regional BFA meeting later in the year.

Action: SG Delivery to attend the next BFA regional meeting to discuss BDI.

The SBA President added that the SBA has no objection to a new scheme being available in Scotland, as it would provide beekeepers with more choice.

BDI Whole Apiary Shook Swarm (WASS) Project

The Bee Health Delivery Lead also provided an update on the BDI WASS Project, which has been extended into a fifth year. The extension aims to collect sufficient data for Giles Budge to demonstrate statistically significant evidence that WASS reduces the recurrence of EFB. Once this evidence is confirmed, compensation will be made available to beekeepers, and Inspectors would take on the responsibility of performing the shook swarm procedure. While it was acknowledged that this could require considerable Inspector resources, it was suggested that this might ultimately be a more effective use of those resources in reducing disease. The group also discussed the effectiveness of shook swarming, noting that its success depends on several interrelated factors.

Next BHIP meeting: format

The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 12th August and the secretariat will canvas for suggested discussion items nearer the time.