The blocking district for beekeepers in Baar-West finally canceled-hope returns!

The blocking district for beekeepers in Baar-West finally canceled-hope returns!

The relief is noticeable! After 15 months of fear of fear, the 90 members of the Baar-West beekeeping association can finally breathe a sigh of relief! The blocking area set up because of the dreaded American lazy brood was lifted - and without further losses on bee colonies! A real ray of hope for the beekeepers in the region!

The nightmare began in August 2023 when a beekeeper from Waldhausen discovered the outbreak of the plague. The district reacted with a general order and built a restricted area that included large parts of Waldhausen and Bräunlingen. In this area, it was forbidden to move bee colonies or to bring new ones to prevent further spread of the disease. The association's bee experts worked hand in hand with the veterinary office to remove samples from all peoples in the restricted area. In the event of positive findings, the affected peoples had to be destroyed.

shocking numbers and undiscovered peoples

A total of 350 bee colonies were examined, and 78 had to be killed due to the infection. The situation was dramatic because not all beekeepers were officially recorded in the blocking district. Originally, 23 beekeepers and around 120 peoples were expected, but press calls reported many hobby beekeepers who were not registered. In the end there were 40 beekeepers with over 140 peoples that were under observation.

The good news: After a second negative test in spring 2024, the last five conspicuous peoples were renovated. The restricted area was finally lifted and the beekeepers can now take a deep breath. But what about the honey from the restricted area? Michael Brüner from the beekeeping association calms down: "The pathogen is not harmful to adults." The honey can be sold and consumed without hesitation, even if it contains spores of the disease. An important note for all consumers: Empty honey jars should be cleaned thoroughly to prevent further spread of the disease!