Welcome to the British Bee Veterinary Association!

Within these pages you will find general information on bees, beekeeping, honey and other hive products as well as more veterinary-specific topics including bee diseases, diagnosis and treatment. There is also a directory of resources for further information.

Many thanks to our sponsors Agria Pet Insurance, Vita Bee Health and Shire Insurance for their generous support of the British Bee Veterinary Association. This support is much appreciated and will enable the BBVA to carry out its work in spreading knowledge of bees and showing the positive impact they have on our lives.

British Bee Veterinary Association

BSAVA Satellite Meeting

Wednesday 1st April 2020. ICC, Birmingham

This will be the last pre-congress meeting in Birmingham, before the move to Manchester.

The schedule outline is below; registration & coffee available from 9.30am, with the first speaker at 10am.

Excellent speakers from several different backgrounds and topics that will interest everyone.

Guest speakers include Nicolas Vidal-Naquet, the author of ‘Honeybee Veterinary medicine’, who has lectured throughout Europe & USA.

See more about the day here

About the BBVA

The British Bee Veterinary Association (BBVA) was launched on 1st April 2015 in response to an increased demand for bee expertise from the veterinary profession. Full Membership is open to anyone holding a veterinary qualification registerable with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. We also warmly welcome student and non-veterinary Associate Members as well as ‘Bee Friendly Practice’ Membership. For information [...]

Common diseases

Foulbrood

American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB), despite their names, both occur in the UK and both can lead to the death of infected colonies. Both foulbroods are statutory notifiable diseases and therefore, beekeepers are legally obligated to report any suspected diseased colonies under the Bee Diseases and Pests Control Order 2006 (as amended). Causes AFB [...]

Verroa mites

Varroa destructor (Anderson and Truman) previously described as Varroa jacobsoni (Oud) is a parasitic mite of adult bees and brood. In the past hundred years or so it has become the most serious pest of Western honeybees across the globe, particularly for the European honey bee Apis mellifera which lacks natural defences to be able to deal with the mite [...]

Nosema

There are no outward symptoms of the disease. Dysentery is often seen in association with N. apis infections; this may be seen as ‘spotting’ at the hive entrance or across the frames. The dysentery is not caused by the pathogen, but as a consequence of infection and can be exacerbated during periods of prolonged confinement during inclement [...]

Chronic Bee Paralysis virus

Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV)-infected bees are characteristically ‘shiny and black’. These bees in infected hives are often found isolated, motionless and/or shaking on the top bars. When the colony is smoked they do not tend to move down between the frames as the other ‘normal’ bees do. Abdomens may also be distended and the wings [...]