As used in sections 264.011 to 264.101, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the following terms mean:

(1) “Apiary”, any place or location where one or more colonies or nuclei of bees are kept;

Terms Used In Missouri Laws 264.021

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020

(2) “Authorized official”, the state official authorized to inspect apiaries in the state of origin of bees being transported into the state of Missouri;

(3) “Beekeeper”, any individual, person, firm, association or corporation owning, possessing or controlling one or more colonies of bees for the production of honey, beeswax or by-products thereof, or for the pollination of crops for either personal or commercial use;

(4) “Beekeeping equipment”, all hives, supers, frames or other devices used in the rearing or manipulation of bees, their brood, honey or containers thereof which may be or may have been used in any apiary;

(5) “Bees”, any stage of the common honey bee, Apis mellifera, or other bees kept for the production of honey or wax or existing in the wild or feral state;

(6) “Colony”, the bees inhabiting a single hive, nuclei box or other dwelling place;

(7) “Director”, the director of the state department of agriculture;

(8) “Disease”, American or European foulbrood and any other infectious, contagious or communicable disease affecting bees or their brood;

(9) “Eradicate”, the complete destruction of infected or undesirable bees and equipment by burning or treatment approved by the state entomologist;

(10) “Extermination”, the complete destruction of bee colonies;

(11) “Hive”, any domicile with removable frames for keeping bees;

(12) “Inspector”, a person appointed by the director to check for diseased conditions or pest infestations in one or more apiaries or bees in the wild or feral state as authorized by this chapter;

(13) “Pests”, the honey bee mite, Acarapis woodi; the varroa mite, Varroa jacobsoni; the Africanized honey bee, Apis mellifera scutellata; and any other arthropod pest detrimental to honey bees.