It took us 50 years to get our public rights of way open and about 2 days to
close them.

There has been some discussion on the ability of bees to carry the virus.
They can probably do so when carrying water, particularly as they often
favour water from unhygienic sources.  However they will carry it no further
than from puddle to hive and the virus can travel much further than that on
the wind.

The big danger is from beekeepers spreading the virus around on their
clothing, footwear, vehicles etc.  The government is alarmed at how
cooperative people have been in keeping off farmland.  People have gone over
the top and stopped visiting the countryside altogether with the result that
shops, pubs, tourist attractions and local businesses are having a very bad
time through no fault of their own. A nurseryman told me last weekend when I
was manning the office to deal with F & M calls that last year he had had 300
customers the corresponding day.  This year he had 3.

If you are thinking of coming to the UK as a tourist or on business please do
come.  You will be very welcome to visit our cities, towns and villages and
to visit the usual tourist attractions and historical sites.  Where you will
not be welcome is on farmland.  So please come but keep off the grass.

We are getting mixed messages from the government.  On the one hand they
stress how infective F & M is and that there is a 3 week incubation period.
Yet at the same time they are saying that large parts of the country are F &
M free.  How do they know?   They must be keeping their fingers very tightly
crossed when they come out with such brave statements.  Only today there has
been an outbreak in a previously unrecorded area.

I have bees on several farms.  I have reduced my visits to a minimum and on
each occasion I ring the owner/ tenant first for permission and make sure I
comply fully with any request he makes regarding disinfecting between sites.
So far, so good.

Chris