Purpose of national bee-health surveillance and statutory/regulatory inspection.
Practical Beekeeper Standard · Competency C14
Exotic pests, invasive species and statutory responsibilities
Monitor for invasive species, exotic pests, parasites and statutory bee-health threats, recognise suspicious findings and comply with relevant reporting, inspection, monitoring and control arrangements.
Knowledge
Knowledge requirements
Current important exotic/invasive threats relevant to UK beekeeping and their broad recognition features.
Difference between routine beekeeper management and situations requiring statutory notification or official direction.
Current reporting routes for suspected notifiable/reportable bee pests/diseases and invasive species.
Principles of preserving useful evidence safely without increasing spread or personal risk.
Potential pathways of introduction and why movement records/biosecurity matter.
Beekeeper responsibilities during official inspection, sampling, movement restrictions or control action.
Need to verify current statutory lists/guidance rather than rely on outdated memory.
Skills
Practical skills
Carry out appropriate routine surveillance during colony and apiary work.
Recognise suspicious signs/specimens that warrant further investigation or reporting.
Distinguish plausible target threats from common alternatives at an appropriate beekeeper level.
Document and report concerns through the correct current route.
Apply immediate biosecurity/containment actions while awaiting official advice where appropriate.
Cooperate effectively with statutory inspection and follow lawful official instructions.
Locate and use current official guidance/resources when requirements change.
What assessors need to see
Genuine routine surveillance plus mandatory scenario-based assessment for rare/exotic/notifiable threats. Natural occurrence of an exotic pest is not required.
Based on genuine activity
Knowledge may be evidenced through short written explanations, annotated photographs, small videos, records or professional discussion, but it should relate to an actual activity, colony, apiary, manipulation, observation or management decision the candidate has carried out or genuinely been involved in.
Evidence accumulates over time
One activity may map to several KSBs. Practical competence must be evidenced practically; scenarios support rare or uncontrollable situations but do not replace practical evidence where a genuine opportunity can reasonably occur.
