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UPDATE: 18.09.07
Dear Editor
Following our correspondence below, the pest notice is in the process of being been updated to show that so far only one single finding of this pest has been found and confirmed. The pest as far as we know is not widespread throughout the south of England (as the Eurofuchsia website map appears to show).
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14th September 2007
The BFS has again been informed by DEFRA that FUCHSIA GALL MITE has arrived in the UK and has been identified in Southern England. This is a very destructive disease and any instance must be reported to a local DEFRA plant health office. This disease has spread into Europe before being discovered in Guernsey. The latest report states that it has also been found in plants in Southern England.
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COPY OF EMAIL RECEIVED FROM DEFRA
Dear Editor
Last year I wrote to your hon. Sec. (Mr Oke) about this gall mite and I am pleased to see that information has been put on your website about this pest. I hope he will not mind me writing directly to you about this urgent matter. Can you please pass this information to your members and anyone else who may be interested.
I am sorry to inform your members that Fuchsia gall mite (Aculops fuchsiae) has this week been diagnosed in southern England.
Fuchsia plants in private gardens were found to be infected. One of the findings was on plants grown from cuttings brought back home from a holiday in France. This pest is covered by plant health legislation (EC Plant Health Directive 2000/29) which makes clear that this organism is banned on plants of Fuchsia intended for planting, other than seeds.
We are contacting trade associations about this finding and will be visiting commercial premises in the areas affected. Meanwhile I would suggest that you look at the information on our website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/pestnote/fuchsia.pdf
Please advise your local Plant Health Inspector of any suspect findings. See http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/offices.pdf
You may also be interested to see the information about this pest on http://www.eurofuchsia.org
I thank you in anticipation of your help in this matter.
Yours etc
Graham Clift
Plant Health and Seed Inspector
DEFRA
Room 341, Foss House, King's Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green, YORK YO1 7PX
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26th July 2007
The BFS has been informed by DEFRA that FUCHSIA GALL MITE has been identified in the Channel Islands, Jersey and Guernsey. This is a very destructive disease and any instance must be reported to a local DEFRA plant health office. This disease has spread into Europe before being discovered in Guernsey. The latest report states that it has also been found in plants in Jersey.
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COPY OF EMAIL RECEIVED FROM DOE, JERSEY
I would like to inform your organisation that Jersey, Channel Islands, is experiencing a fairly major outbreak of Fuchsia gall mite. Please advise your members of this, and that any specimens collected for this area in the last 1-3 years should be carefully inspected for symptoms.
It would be prudent to not take any material from the Channel Islands until further notice.
Scott Meadows
Entomologist & Laboratory Manager.
States of Jersey Department of Environment.
00 44 (0)1534 441636
00 44 (0)7797 713201
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