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Bees: Disease Control

Volume 479: debated on Monday 21 July 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the threat of the Varroa mite to the honey bee population. (218705)

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 20 May 2008, Official Report, columns 171-72W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent studies he has commissioned on tackling the Varroa mite. (218706)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of exotic threats to the honey bee population, with particular reference to the small hive beetle. (218707)

The possibility of the small hive beetle arriving in the UK is a recognised threat to the health of honey bees and the National Bee Unit remains vigilant for the arrival of this and other exotic pests and diseases. To promote early detection, publicity material has been distributed to help raise individual beekeepers’ awareness of the risk. Plant health import inspectors and horticultural marketing inspectors have also been alerted, as one possible entry pathway is imported fruit. To help mitigate this threat, DEFRA has developed a contingency plan in consultation with stakeholders and is also pressing the European Commission to introduce tighter contingency arrangements to reduce the risk of spread should the small hive beetle be introduced into another member state. Additionally, DEFRA is funding research into a “lure and kill” monitoring system for rapid deployment should the small hive beetle be detected.

The relative priorities that should be given to the various pest and disease threats to bees are addressed in the draft bee health strategy that is currently out for public consultation.