Castilla y León extends mandatory treatment against honey bee varroosis

The General Directorate of Agricultural and Livestock Production of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Environment and Environmental Policy has established, by Resolution of August 13, 2026, the application period for the mandatory annual treatment against varroosis in beekeeping farms in Castilla y León. The regulation, published in the Official Gazette of Castilla y León number 167 on Friday, August 28, 2026 (pages 116 and 117), affects all beekeepers in the region.

Varroosis, caused by the mite Varroa destructor, is the main parasitic disease of honey bees (Apis mellifera), and causes significant economic and productive losses due to the weakening of colonies, increased susceptibility to other pathologies, and increased bee mortality. The resolution is issued within the framework of Royal Decree 608/2006, of May 19, which regulates the National Program for the Fight and Control of Honey Bee Diseases, and Law 8/2003, of April 24, on Animal Health.

Extended treatment period

The mandatory annual treatment may be carried out between August 1 and December 31 of each year, a wider window than that generally provided for in Annex II of Royal Decree 608/2006, which sets the period between September and November. The regional regulation justifies the extension based on the evolution of climatic and productive conditions in the region and the existence of a significant number of migratory farms, which advise adapting treatments to the current epidemiological reality.

Available technical evidence indicates that early control of infestation levels during the summer months contributes to improving colony survival during the winter period, reducing the sanitary and productive impact of the disease. The extension also allows actions to be adapted to the different climatic, phenological, and management conditions of the areas of Castilla y León.

Application conditions

The treatment must be carried out with veterinary medicines authorized for this indication, under the supervision or prescription of the farm veterinarian or, where applicable, the authorized or enabled veterinarian. The regulation also requires:

• Carrying out the treatments while ensuring the maximum possible territorial coordination between farms in the same area to improve their sanitary efficacy.
• Recording the actions in the beekeeping farm registration book.
• Retaining the corresponding supporting documentation.

The resolution does not limit the possibility of carrying out additional treatments against varroosis when necessary, in accordance with article 6.b) of Royal Decree 608/2006. The regulation takes effect from the date of its signature, August 13, 2026, and an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed before the head of the Regional Ministry within one month of its publication.

The measure, signed by the director general Juan José García García, reinforces the health of a strategic sector for the region, protecting bee colonies against the main plague that threatens their survival and, with it, pollination and apicultural production in Castilla y León.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla y León, no. 167, August 28, 2026, I. Community of Castilla y León, D. Other Provisions, pp. 116-117 (official reference: BOCYL-D-28082026-167-16).