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As of this year, the rules regarding use of antibiotics to treat bee colonies have changed. Beekeepers can no longer buy antibiotics at their local Farm and Range or Beekeeping Supply Company. Due to increased concern about antibiotic residues in human foods, FDA now requires beekeepers to obtain antibiotics from a licensed veterinarian. Although some have hoped for an exemption for bees, that doesn't seem likely. To be clear, the new regulations apply to lots of animals ranging from cows and pigs to chickens and eggs.
Clearly, one can't haul a beehive into the waiting room of your local veterinarian. Unfortunately, most veterinarians have no training regarding bees and bee diseases and wouldn't recognize the foul broods or any other bee disease that might be treated with antibiotics. Experienced beekeepers, apiary inspectors, entomologists, who do have the experience and training to recognize bee pests and diseases, can not authorize use of antibiotics to treat colonies. Fortunately, the new regulations only apply to antibiotics and do not apply to treatments to control mites or nosema. European Foul Brood can usually be suppressed by strong colonies or by replacing the queen. American Foul Brood has been suppressed for decades in many beehives through the use of antibiotics. Some states and countries do not approve the use of antibiotics to prevent or treat AFB. In those instances, the recommended control is often to burn everything.
My own experience, if one starts with new equipment, package bees, and foundation - one can usually control foul brood without the use of antibiotics. However, whenever I obtain bees on comb, the odds of foul brood re-appearing are high; since at least in the US, so many beekeepers have routinely used antibiotics to control these diseases - the spores of which can remain viable in comb for years or decades.
The answer to how do I take my bees in for a check up and/or my veterinarian doesn't make house calls to inspect bees is to put in place a Veterinarian-Client Patient Relationship Agreement (VCPR). In essence, this is a signed form or agreement based on the new FDA rules that each beekeeper enters into with his or her veterinarian. Given the nature of the form, it helps to do this with a veterinarian that you know. With the agreement in place, the veterinarian can issue either a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) if the antibiotic is to be mixed with a feed (e.g., sugar) or a prescription if it is to be mixed into a solution (e.g., syrup). Depending on your state, your veterinarian may have to follow the Federal guidelines for a VCPR or use a State specific VCPR Form.
The federal rules specify what needs to be done by the veterinarian, the beekeeper, and the signed form; but I have not been able to find an actual Federal Form. Ohio has been pro-active and posts an example form that appears to comply with the federal requirements. It's a good starting point.
Note also that each state has some form of Board of Veterinary Medicine that oversees licensing of veterinarians. However, many of these Boards have yet to hear about the beekeeper requirement, may not know that bees get sick, nor that treatment with antibiotics may be warranted. In addition your local veterinarians may be reluctant to do anything until their State Board provides guidance - they don't want to lose their licenses by committing a felony. I'm working in our state to get everyone up to speed. The path forward seems to be the VCPR.
Specific information about the new rules, VCPR forms, VFDs, prescriptions can be found here:
Federal Regs - these are not fun to read, but they describe ALL of the information required for the VCPR:
[URL]http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=99550a83c97103df1503d4e34b99b26b&mc=true&node=pt21.6.530&rgn=div5#se21.6.530_13[/URL]
The Ohio Example VCPR Form appears at the following URL link. Ohio State University personnel put this together to respond to the Fed Regs:
[URL]https://u.osu.edu/beelab/files/2016/07/VCPR-relationship-form-final-version-oct-14-Bovine-Drug-Residue-Task-Force-12-20u4wft.pdf[/URL]
This guide for Veterinary Students provides tips that beekeepers and veterinarians can use to develop a VCPR:
[URL]https://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/UCM455481.pdf[/URL]
Clearly, one can't haul a beehive into the waiting room of your local veterinarian. Unfortunately, most veterinarians have no training regarding bees and bee diseases and wouldn't recognize the foul broods or any other bee disease that might be treated with antibiotics. Experienced beekeepers, apiary inspectors, entomologists, who do have the experience and training to recognize bee pests and diseases, can not authorize use of antibiotics to treat colonies. Fortunately, the new regulations only apply to antibiotics and do not apply to treatments to control mites or nosema. European Foul Brood can usually be suppressed by strong colonies or by replacing the queen. American Foul Brood has been suppressed for decades in many beehives through the use of antibiotics. Some states and countries do not approve the use of antibiotics to prevent or treat AFB. In those instances, the recommended control is often to burn everything.
My own experience, if one starts with new equipment, package bees, and foundation - one can usually control foul brood without the use of antibiotics. However, whenever I obtain bees on comb, the odds of foul brood re-appearing are high; since at least in the US, so many beekeepers have routinely used antibiotics to control these diseases - the spores of which can remain viable in comb for years or decades.
The answer to how do I take my bees in for a check up and/or my veterinarian doesn't make house calls to inspect bees is to put in place a Veterinarian-Client Patient Relationship Agreement (VCPR). In essence, this is a signed form or agreement based on the new FDA rules that each beekeeper enters into with his or her veterinarian. Given the nature of the form, it helps to do this with a veterinarian that you know. With the agreement in place, the veterinarian can issue either a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) if the antibiotic is to be mixed with a feed (e.g., sugar) or a prescription if it is to be mixed into a solution (e.g., syrup). Depending on your state, your veterinarian may have to follow the Federal guidelines for a VCPR or use a State specific VCPR Form.
The federal rules specify what needs to be done by the veterinarian, the beekeeper, and the signed form; but I have not been able to find an actual Federal Form. Ohio has been pro-active and posts an example form that appears to comply with the federal requirements. It's a good starting point.
Note also that each state has some form of Board of Veterinary Medicine that oversees licensing of veterinarians. However, many of these Boards have yet to hear about the beekeeper requirement, may not know that bees get sick, nor that treatment with antibiotics may be warranted. In addition your local veterinarians may be reluctant to do anything until their State Board provides guidance - they don't want to lose their licenses by committing a felony. I'm working in our state to get everyone up to speed. The path forward seems to be the VCPR.
Specific information about the new rules, VCPR forms, VFDs, prescriptions can be found here:
Federal Regs - these are not fun to read, but they describe ALL of the information required for the VCPR:
[URL]http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=99550a83c97103df1503d4e34b99b26b&mc=true&node=pt21.6.530&rgn=div5#se21.6.530_13[/URL]
The Ohio Example VCPR Form appears at the following URL link. Ohio State University personnel put this together to respond to the Fed Regs:
[URL]https://u.osu.edu/beelab/files/2016/07/VCPR-relationship-form-final-version-oct-14-Bovine-Drug-Residue-Task-Force-12-20u4wft.pdf[/URL]
This guide for Veterinary Students provides tips that beekeepers and veterinarians can use to develop a VCPR:
[URL]https://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/UCM455481.pdf[/URL]
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