The following is a notice issued by the Scottish Government Bee Health Team for beekeepers across Scotland.
We are contacting you to inform you of an outbreak of European Foulbrood (EFB) in honey bees in the Dumfries area.
This outbreak concerns a number of hives and was first reported to the Scottish Government by the beekeeper, with the disease being confirmed by SASA on the 8th of May 2025.
The beekeeper concerned has been informed of the official confirmation of the disease and are cooperating with the Scottish Government bee health inspectors. Infected colonies have been destroyed. Restrictions are in place in the apiaries, and we are working with the beekeeper to identify the possible source of this outbreak as well as any potential spread of disease.
BeeBase registered beekeepers within 3 km from the infected apiary will also be alerted of this outbreak via BeeBase.
What does this mean?
This is an informative announcement to raise awareness of key points. There are no subsequent restrictions in the area as a result of this finding other than those in place for the infected apiaries.
Next Steps
Please can beekeepers also be reminded of the importance of acquainting themselves with the symptoms of foulbrood diseases and how to conduct a full foulbrood inspection. All beekeepers should carry out at least one foulbrood inspection a year, but we recommend more frequent inspections for those in areas where disease has been confirmed.
If there is any suspicion of American foulbrood (AFB) or European Foulbrood (EFB), there is a legal requirement to notify the Scottish Government Honey Bee Health Team on bees_mailbox@gov.scot
Strict biosecurity is the best prevention to avoid infection, especially for beekeepers who are located within the outbreak area. Swarms of unknown origins should be isolated in a quarantine apiary, put onto fresh foundation and inspected for signs of disease at six weeks before they are brought into contact with other colonies.
Extreme care should be taken with old and second-hand equipment. Such equipment should be thoroughly cleansed and sterilised before re-utilising.
In addition, we would like to emphasise the importance of beekeepers registering and keeping the locations of their apiaries up to date in BeeBase. This will allow the Scottish Government Honey Bee Health Team to assess if there has been a risk of disease spreading to their bees. This is all the more important for those beekeepers who find themselves within the area where the outbreak has been confirmed.
Free registration to BeeBase is available at the National Bee Unit website. Registration on BeeBase also ensures that other beekeepers in an area are automatically alerted to disease outbreaks.
Additional information can be found on the following web pages:
· Foulbrood – how to spot and report the disease
· Honey bee health guidance
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at:
Bees_Mailbox@gov.scot
Thank You
