Bee epidemic: restricted area extended

The city of Hof must extend the existing exclusion zone to combat American foulbrood in bees.

The veterinary office has again detected a case of the highly contagious bee disease in another apiary in the Hof municipal area (parcel number 2112/1).

American foulbrood is a bacterial infectious disease that only affects bee brood and is a notifiable animal disease in beekeeping. In order to prevent further spread, the restricted area, which was originally established on June 5, 2025, is now being extended to include the newly affected area.

From June 23, 2025, the following applies in the entire restricted area:

No bees, honeycombs, wax, food supplies, honey for feeding, bee dwellings or used equipment may be moved or transported into or out of the restricted area.
It is also prohibited to bring bee colonies into the restricted zone.

The aim of these measures is to effectively prevent the further spread of the disease and to protect the health of bee colonies in the urban area. The previous regulations remain unaffected. The following legal situation continues to apply: The general decree of May 27, 2025 and its extension of June 11, 2025 remain in force. The second general ruling of June 5, 2025 also remains valid - it will be extended to include the current epidemic area with the new ruling.

The city of Hof asks all beekeepers to pay increased attention and consistently comply with the protective measures. American foulbrood poses no danger to humans, but has a massive impact on bee brood. Early containment is crucial for the health of bee colonies in the region and therefore also for the pollination performance in agriculture and nature.