BEEKEEPERS have been warned that hot spots for a killer bee disease have been identified in Herefordshire by scientists.

European foulbrood was discovered in some county colonies, a "notifiable and damaging" disease caused by a bacteria that attacks bee larvae, which could cause serious damage to honey production.

And with another deadly disease - varroosis, caused by parasitic mites - now on the rise, scientists have warned that climate change could be redrawing the ’disease map’ for honey bees.

The South West of England was particularly vulnerable to the disease-carrying mite, they found, while hot spots for European foulbrood were discovered in Herefordshire, Powys, Shropshire and Worcestershire.

Scientists at Newcastle University have warned that warmer areas with little rainfall or wind favour the spread of pests and diseases which could cripple honey bee populations.

Study author, post-doctoral student Ben Rowland, said: "Our analysis clearly shows that the risk of a colony contracting one of the diseases we examined is influenced by the weather conditions experienced by that colony.

"Our work highlights some interesting contrasts; for example, rainfall can drive one disease to become more common whilst another will become rarer."

The UK has an estimated 274,000 honey bee hives, the majority of which are maintained by amateur keepers, but their overall population is thought to have declined since the 1970s.

More than 300,000 visits to honey bee colonies were carried out to collect data on six important diseases and examine how they were impacted by different weather conditions including rainfall, temperature and wind.

There are over 250 species of bee in the UK, including 25 species of bumble bee, 224 species of solitary bee and one honey bee species.

Despite their differences, they are all vital to maintaining biodiversity by pollinating wild plants and crops.

Senior author Professor Giles Budge said: "We have long known that weather can influence the ability of honey bees to leave the hive and forage for food, but to better understand how our climate can influence honey bee disease is fascinating!

"This new knowledge will help us predict how honey bee disease might be influenced by future climate change."

The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Landowners have in the past called for a crackdown on beekeepers who placed hives on land without permission.

In the past, the Country Landowners Association have urged farmers to report the discovery of any mystery hives on their land to help combat the spread of disease.

The CLA said illegally-placed hives should be reported immediately to local beekeepers’ associations, so that suspect colonies may be inspected on site.