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Honey bees are at risk of being wiped out by a disease that is ravaging Britain, according to new research.
Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV) causes wing and body tremor as well as nervousness, which prevents flight and also leads to hair loss and rejection by healthy companions. It can contribute to the death of an entire colony and kill victims in one week.
The disease, fueled by the introduction of queen bees from across Europe, was reported primarily in Lincolnshire. By 2017, it was present in 39 out of 47 English counties and six out of eight Welsh counties.
Lead author Professor Giles Budge of Newcastle University said: “Our analysis clearly confirms that it has emerged in England and Wales since 2007.”
He added: “Apiaries owned by professional beekeepers have a higher risk of contracting the disease.”
The study, published in Nature Communications, also found that the outbreak groups, where cases are close together, were becoming more frequent.
The scientists collected the date of the visits to more than 24,000 beekeepers who show that it is increasing “exponentially”.
This study, the largest analysis of its kind, also found a link between the disease and the importation of queens from honey bees.
They head the colonies and beekeepers use large amounts from France, Italy, the Netherlands and other countries in the world to replenish stocks. Since 2000, more than 40,000 queens have been imported into England and Wales
The study used information from 130,000 bee imports from 25 countries showing for the first time that the disease was almost twice as likely in apiaries owned by breeders using imported queens.
The study was completed in association with the Bee Farmers Association, representing professional beekeepers in the UK. President Rob Nickless said: “We are delighted to be a part of this project and appreciate these early results.
“This is the type of research that brings practical benefits to the industry, helping grassroots beekeepers to improve bee health and increase UK honey production.”
