Improving honey bee health
Proposed changes to managing and controlling bee pests and diseases.
In 2009, Defra commissioned the National Bee Unit (NBU) to undertake a survey of honey bee pests and diseases with the aim of using the results to inform a review of current policies on managing these risks. The NBU carried out this survey from 2009 to 2011 by visiting and taking samples from around 5000 apiaries selected at random from BeeBase, their database of beekeepers in England and Wales. As the results started to become available in the second half of 2011, Defra initiated a review of its pest and disease control policy.
The review considered how best to manage pests and diseases in the future so that the optimum policies and interventions are in place; priorities for future collective action (partnership working) by government and beekeepers are clear; and we are making the best use of current public funding/resources for this programme in order to sustain a healthy honey bee population for pollination.
The review was undertaken by the Food and Environment Research Agency, on behalf of Defra and the Welsh Government, with the NBU, representatives from commercial and amateur beekeeper associations and an independent scientist over 12 months from July 2011. This consultation sought views on the proposals which emerged from the review.
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