Rosselkhoznadzor has banned the import of bees from Kyrgyzstan to Bashkortostan. The Department for Bashkortostan «prevented the illegal import of 300 queen bees from the Kyrgyz Republic,» the agency’s press service reported.
The information about the insect import came from Russia’s border and customs services. The bees were being transported by rail as luggage.
«Due to the illegal import and the consignee’s refusal to return the queen bees to the sender, the territorial department of Rosselkhoznadzor decided to seize and destroy the prohibited products,» the press release states.
In May 2023, Rosselkhoznadzor temporarily banned the import of bees from Kyrgyzstan due to violations of quarantine measures when importing insects. At that time, the import of bee packages from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan was also suspended.
Earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture of Bashkortostan proposed including in the Law on Beekeeping a ban on the import and movement within the republic of diseased and/or infected bee colonies and queen bees. The explanatory note to the bill says that «bees of southern breeds from Asian countries and southern regions of Russia are actively being brought into the republic.»
«This is often done without control and in violation of veterinary requirements. Meanwhile, a new, highly dangerous infection for bees—tropilaelaps mite infestation—is spreading from southern Russia and can wipe out an entire apiary,» the agency explained.