The period after the main spring honey flow is an excellent time to check the health of the brood in your colonies, assuming that you have mated and laying queens. European foulbrood is most easily spotted in June and if the infection is relatively light you may be able to save the colony under the direction of the bee inspectors. EFB in particular can be mimicked when young workers fail to feed larvae properly (heavy pressure from Varroa, chalkbrood or in a drone laying colony). American foulbrood requires destruction of the colony but as its spread from colony to colony is relatively slow you may be able to save other colonies in the apiary.
Read all about performing brood disease inspections and details of the foulbrood diseases: DOWNLOAD HERE
In Scotland any suspicions of foulbrood disease must be reported to the inspectorate.
Gavin Ramsay
Bee Health Officer