VARROA JACOBSONI MITES

HL Deb 04 April 1979 vol 399 cc1968-9WA

Lord BEAUMONT of WHITLEY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking or proposing to take to prevent the invasion of the United Kingdom by Varroa jacobsoni mites.

Lord STRABOLGI

The importation of Bees Order 1978, which came into effect on 1st January 1979, prohibits the importation of bees into Great Britain, unless they are accompanied by a certificate issued in the exporting country which states that the breeding apiary has been examined by an official inspector, and no trace of the miteVarroa jacobsonii was found. Varroa has not been reported in the countries which supply bees to Britain, but we are nevertheless keeping a close watch on the situation and are prepared if necessary to review existing controls, taking account both of the need to keep the disease out of the country and to maintain stocks of bees.