Commerce & Employment issues statement on Jersey bee disease outbreak

Monday 07 June 2010

There has been an outbreak of American Foul Brood disease in Jersey. The disease has been confirmed in two colonies of bees and it is understood that there is a third suspected outbreak of disease in another colony.

American Foul Brood disease affects the larval stage of honey bees. It is caused by a bacterium called ‘Paenibacillus larvae’ that infects and kills larvae and can produce over 1 billion spores from each infected larvae. These spores are extremely resistant to heat and chemical disinfectants and can survive for many years in bee hives and equipment.

The disease is a Notifiable Disease in Guernsey and so bee-keepers should inspect their hives and must report any suspected cases to the Commerce and Employment Department.

Combs of infected colonies have a mottled appearance due to a mixture of healthy capped brood, uncapped cells containing the remains of diseased larvae and empty cells. Mr Alf Salmon, who has acted as a bee inspector in Guernsey, on behalf of the Guernsey Beekeepers Association, tells me that there is a very nasty characteristic smell of fish in infected hives.

Infection could be brought into the island by bee-keepers moving infected hives and equipment into the island and it can even be picked up from contaminated imported honey! I understand that the last outbreak of American Foul Brood in Guernsey was about 40 years ago and was caused by a tin of Brazilian Honey that was put out for local bees to clean up!

Guernsey beekeepers are advised that its It is illegal to import used bee hives and second hand equipment. They should only only import new bee hives and equipment so as to keep disease out of the island, and all imports of colonies are strictly controlled.

Although people can import nuclear bee stock into the island, this is discouraged. The Guernsey bee population has remained relatively disease free but is always at risk from unscrupulous people importing used equipment or bee colonies into the island. There have been rumours recently that bees and possibly some equipment has been imported into the island as beekeeping has become much more popular.

It is known that there is a ban on any movements of bee stocks or equipment in Jersey and there is also a ban on export as well. We understand that a register is being compiled of all beekeepers in Jersey and that a professional team of bee inspectors from England will be arriving this week to carry out an inspection of all stocks in the island. Any colonies and equipment that is found to be diseased will be destroyed and burnt.

Beekeepers in Guernsey (and in Sark, Alderney and Herm)are advised to be very vigilant and to carry out a routine inspection of all their hives as soon as possible to ensure that they remain free of disease. Advice can be obtained from the Guernsey Beekeepers Association. If a beekeeper suspects that one of his colonies is infected then he should seek advice from the Guernsey Beekeepers Association bee inspector and inform the Commerce and Employment Department without delay.

All beekeepers should be members of the Guernsey Beekeepers Association from whom further information will be available. Information is also available on the web-sites shown below. All beekeepers are urged to join the Beekeepers Association as that is the best way that they can be kept informed, obtain specialist advice and receive regular newsletters containing information about beekeeping in the islands.

A decision has not yet been made on whether it will be necessary to compile an official register of beekeepers in Guernsey. We believe that beekeepers are best advised to join the Guernsey Beekeepers Association. Their membership list can then be used if further colony inspections do become necessary in the future.

The best way to ensure that American Foul Brood disease does not infect bee colonies in Guernsey is to follow the golden rules:

1. Do not import any bee colonies into Guernsey
2. Do not import any used beehives or bee equipment into Guernsey
3. Do clean and wash out all empty jars of honey before disposal.