Scotland’s Honey Bee Health Strategy: implementation plan

Action (SMART)

Owner/lead

Priority

Progress/achievements

2.1: Communication and guidance of Varroa mapping exercise and guidance to beekeepers on best practice to protect these areas and to keep their status up to date.  

BHIP

Annually

A dedicated page on Varroa is in development for the SG Bee Health website.

The BHIP are driving awareness raising of the map and its messaging. The BHIP Annual Report provides an update on the progress made.

For 2024, NorthLink Ferries agreed to display the Varroa mapping poster at their ports and on their ships.

2.2: Varroa Working Group (VWG).

Matthew Richardson

Ongoing

In 2023, the reconvened VWG met on three occasions to discuss the issues affecting beekeepers in Scotland with the goal of improving the education and knowledge of Varroa management and control in Scotland.

2.3: To develop an implementation plan for delivery of Varroa training package across Scotland.

SRUC

Achieved

Implementation plan developed.

2.4: Working with VMD, clarify labelling instructions, common applications and include information in Scottish specific Varroa guidance.

Varroa WG

SG-Policy

Medium-term

Guidance is being developed as part of the Varroa Learning Package. The VWG and SG will continue to take these issues forward in future discussions with the VMD.

2.5: Liaison with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and the Food Standards Scotland regarding misuse of medicines and potential residues in Honey. In addition, the availability of effective medications for honey bees and review how to optimise treatments for use in Scotland and be most efficient in management techniques (including discussions prior to removing any approved medication and what replacement products will be available).

SG-Policy

Achieved

SG Honey Bee Health Team provided field information to the FSS and VMD in order to guide their policy. Both FSS and VMD have taken the information and will look at a review of current policy and official controls. Routes to report any concerns or intelligence were established and communicated via an article produced by SG’s Veterinary Advisor on the issue of honey fraud and residues which appeared in the September 2023 edition of the SBA magazine.

2.6: Expedient and timely communication with beekeepers about nearby notifiable disease outbreaks including what to do when outbreaks occur and notification when the disease outbreak has ended.

SG-Delivery

SG-Policy

SBA

Ongoing

This year’s first finding of AFB in Scotland was confirmed on 5 April 2024 in a single hive in the Stanley area of Perthshire. A news release was issued to raise awareness.

SG Officials have carried out prompt and effective comms ensuring the beekeeping community are made aware of any outbreaks in a timely manner with clear information on what this means and next steps. The SBA have assisted in disseminating this information. From 2023, officials also introduced educational talks in areas where foulbrood is found for the first time.

With unprecedented levels of AFB and EFB found in 2023, the Environment Minister, Gillian Martin wrote a letter to Scotland's beekeepers to remind them of action which can and should be taken to help maintain the health and wellbeing of honey bees.

2.7: To produce a heat map which shows our current understanding of the distribution of the EFB in Scotland to highlight where particular care should be taken when moving bees in or out of the affected area.

SG-Policy

SG-Delivery

SASA

Achieved

The heat map can be found on BeeBase.

2.8: Communication of the EFB heat map to the beekeeping community with guidance recommending actions beekeepers can take to help minimise spread of the disease.

BHIP

Achieved

In 2024, the heat map will appear in the June edition of the SBA, BFA and BeeCraft magazines. It is also published on BeeBase, SG’s Bee Health pages, ScotGov Rural social media and SBA social media channels. Thornes agreed to distribute copies in their parcels to purchasers based in Scotland as well as giving them to customers in their Newburgh shop.

The heat map was the topical focus for the SG stand in the honey tent at the Royal Highland Show in June 2024.

2.9: To run a campaign to promote and encourage beekeepers to keep their records up to date on BeeBase.

BHIP

Short-term (by December 2024)

Agreed that the emphasis should be on:

• encouraging beekeepers to ensure their data on BeeBase is accurate and up to date, especially when moving their bees to the heather.
• a focus on encouraging de-registration and local associations to be targeted.

2.10: Promotion of related issues such as biodiversity/the interaction of managed honey bees with other pollinators/land use/climate change/plant health/wildlife issues.

(depending on the task)

Ongoing

The BHIP Annual Report provides an update on the progress made.

2.11: Widely promoting information to interested/relevant partners/general public/land owners/farmers/councils, for example on:

• impact of pesticides
• impact on the loss of local biodiversity and climate change
• encourage Councils to grow more wildflowers and encourage naturalisation by leaving verges to grow and not cutting the grass short by roadsides and parks.
• monitoring of the density of hives/colonies to ensure there is not over-crowding in certain areas.

(depending on the task)

Ongoing

The BHIP Annual Report provides an update on the progress made.

2.12:  Promotion of the wide-ranging education initiatives already available in Scotland including the BFA Apprenticeship Scheme and utilising skills which are obtainable from the SBA.

BHIP

Ongoing

None.

2.13:  Communication on research findings, current developments e.g. via magazine contributions, blogs, webpages, social media.

BHIP

Ongoing

None.

2.14:  Utilise the SG Bee Health website and BeeBase effectively to ensure that Scottish interests are taken into account and easily identified.

BHIP

Ongoing

Honey bee health guidance on gov.scot

Beekeeping in Scotland page on BeeBase

2.15:  Develop communications and liaise with other interested parties (e.g. FSS, honey importers and packers), highlighting:

• the prevention of possible honey fraud and the safety and integrity of honey as a safe, natural product, free from pesticides, residues, and additives.
• Awareness for packing plants to present a minimal risk of spreading pests and diseases to local honey bee apiaries by compartmentalising production systems to keep apiary equipment separate and clean.

BHIP

Longer-term

None.

2.16: Reach out to bee-related groups and individuals with an interest in honey bees inviting them to send a representative to join the group to ensure a fair representation of beekeeping in Scotland.

BHIP

Ongoing

Action to approach the Natural Beekeeping Trust and the Scottish Native Honey Bee Society (SNHBS) to ask if they would be interested in sending a representative to attend future meetings.

In July 2024, David Evans, The Apiarist agreed to join the BHIP in an advisory capacity.

2.17 To raise awareness and encourage extra vigilance for Asian hornets in Autumn and the BHIP to use their various communication channels to assist sharing the messaging.

BHIP

Short-term

(October 2024)

Work has started.