A Perthshire apiary has reportedly been hit by an outbreak of the highly-contagious and difficult-to-eradicate ‘American Foulbrood’ disease which kills off honey bee larva!

The American Foulbrood disease was discovered in a bee yard located near Ballinluig, and the outbreak has been confirmed from tests conducted by Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA).

According to the information shared by the officials, the infected beehive at the apiary has been destroyed and the movement of bees and equipment in and out of the apiary has been banned. The disease-affected hive has been destroyed largely due to the fact that there currently is no permitted treatment for the disease in the UK.

Revealing that the other apiaries in the area will also be examined over the coming days, Scottish government bee inspectors stated that the quality or safety of honey remains unaffected and that there apparently is no risk to public health.

Nonetheless, the outbreak of American Foulbrood at the Perthshire apiary has prompted the officials to request the beekeepers in Scotland to check their hives and notify the Scottish government in case they suspect the disease has also hit them.

If the beekeepers suspect any signs of the disease, they can notify about it on BeesMailbox@scotland.gsi.gov.uk; and can also register on the national bee database BeeBase!