Information for beekeeping
Beekeeping is a very demanding leisure activity that requires a high degree of responsibility and knowledge about bees. The beekeeper is obliged to keep the bees in such a way that bee diseases can be recognised at an early stage and infection of other bee colonies can be ruled out.
Every beekeeper must comply with the statutory provisions of applicable veterinary law and, when selling honey, with the provisions of food law.
Beekeeping must be reported to the local veterinary office responsible for the bee location, stating the number of bee colonies and their location, at the latest at the start of the activity. It is irrelevant whether the bees are used for honey production or whether they are only kept for their pollination performance.
In addition, the beekeeper is obliged to notify the relevant animal disease insurance fund.
Further information in the service portal of the City of Chemnitz:
There are numerous bee diseases that every beekeeper and carer should be aware of.
A major challenge for beekeepers is the infestation of bee colonies with Varroa mites. Beekeepers must minimise the mite infestation through the targeted use of medication. The Bee Disease Ordinance obliges every beekeeper to take this measure.
One of the most dangerous diseases is American foulbrood in bees. It has an epidemic course and can infect other bee colonies within a short period of time. Treatment is not possible for this disease. In this case, the apiary must be extensively sanitised in accordance with official instructions.
If the beekeeper notices pathological changes in the brood of his bee colonies that indicate this bee disease, he is obliged under the Animal Health Act to notify the competent veterinary office. Recognising such changes in the brood at an early stage requires knowledge of them and good beekeeping practice.
Anyone who fails to fulfil their duty of notification in the event of suspected American foulbrood or their duty to report bees to the veterinary authorities is acting in breach of the law.
Anyone purchasing bee colonies or artificial swarms must ensure that a valid official veterinary certificate is issued for these bees. When registering the bees with the veterinary authorities, this health certificate must be presented without being asked. We warn against purchasing bees via the Internet. It is not guaranteed that a health certificate supplied with the bees can be clearly identified.
Information on beekeeping can be obtained from the Food Monitoring and Veterinary Office of the City of Chemnitz by calling 0371 488-3934 (contact: Ms Ute Wetzel) or email: ute.wetzel(at)stadt-chemnitz.de.
Monitoring American foulbrood in bees in the Free State of Saxony
American foulbrood of bees (AFB) is a contagious bee disease that has caused considerable bee losses in Saxony in recent years. Despite extensive control measures, it has not yet been possible to contain the disease.
Official monitoring for American foulbrood of bees (AFB) will therefore be carried out in the Free State of Saxony from 2019 to 2022. The aim of the nationwide monitoring is to obtain objective data on the spread of AFB in Saxony. The aim is to contain this notifiable bee disease as far as possible.
For the implementation of the monitoring programme, the State Directorate of Saxony has issued a
General ruling under animal health law on the order of toleration and cooperation obligations of beekeepers/beekeepers in the context of the monitoring of American foulbrood of bees (AFB) in the Free State of Saxony dated 17 January 2019.
> General decree of the State Directorate of Saxony
Procedure:
The monitoring is designed in such a way that samples are taken from a quarter of all apiaries in Saxony each year.
Sampling is carried out by the employees of the food monitoring and veterinary office of the city of Chemnitz or by the officially appointed bee experts.
Every bee colony is sampled, regardless of the type of hive used for beekeeping and whether honey is actually extracted.
The samples taken are analysed at the Saxony State Institute for Health and Veterinary Inspection.
A prerequisite for comprehensive monitoring is that every beekeeper has fulfilled their legal obligation to register with the competent veterinary authority.