DEVON IS FIGHTING TO STOP IMPORTS OF PACKAGE BEES (5000 workers plus a queen) FROM ITALY. CURRENTLY OVER 1500 ANNUALLY.
Once established in a country, even as large as USA or Australia, SHB spreads very quickly. It looks very established now in Italy. We must stop imports of package bees and queens. We in UK do not accept bees and queens from USA and Australia. Why from Italy? A smaller country.
‘Small hive beetles were confirmed in the southeastern United States in 1998 in a commercial apiary in Florida, but previously unidentified specimens indicate its presence in the U.S. since at least 1996. The small hive beetle initially appeared in port cities such as Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia as well as parts of Florida, and since has spread to much of the U.S.
Small hive beetles were found in the port cities of Sydney and Brisbane, Australia in the early 2000s and have spread within Australia since that time. The small hive beetle also was found in Portugal, but it was eradicated quickly after its detection.’ Dr Jamie Ellis, Report from University of Florida, reviewed 2016