Spotting brood disease: when to call your bee inspector

Recognise concern, avoid diagnosis from photographs and use the official foulbrood reporting route.

By the Hive Inspection Guide team · Editorial review 2026-10-25

Treat unusual brood as a reason to seek advice

Patchy brood, discoloured or sunken cappings, abnormal larvae, scales or an unusual smell can have more than one cause. These observations are not a diagnosis. Do not rely on a checklist, photo comparison or this page to decide that a colony is free of disease.

American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) are notifiable diseases. If you suspect either, contact the NBU/bee inspector immediately and follow their instructions. Do not move bees, comb, hive parts or equipment from the apiary while you wait for advice. In England and Wales, use the NBU or local bee inspector. In Scotland, notify your local Scottish Government bee inspector; the official page also gives Bees_Mailbox@gov.scot. In Northern Ireland, contact DAERA’s bee health inspectorate.

Record the hive, date, affected frame and observations. Do not attempt to treat suspected foulbrood yourself. NBU foulbrood information · NBU examining guidance.

Sting safety: A sting can happen even with protective clothing. Scrape a visible sting out promptly. If you have had a strong reaction, speak with your GP before beekeeping and do not inspect alone. BBKA getting started.

Official reporting routes

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Sources and further reading

Editorial review: 2026-10-25. Follow the original guidance if it changes.

NBU guidance was reviewed using indexed official source text. Direct access to the NBU website was unavailable during review; check its current guidance before acting.