Each person within the state engaged in the rearing of queen bees for sale or gift, before the first day of April of each year, shall file with the director of agriculture a request for the inspection of his apiaries where queen bees are reared. The director shall require all queen rearing apiaries to be inspected at least once each year. If the inspection results in the diagnosis of any serious bee disease or indicates the presence of Africanized honey bees, the owner thereof shall not ship, sell, or give away any queen bees until he has controlled or eradicated the disease or bees to the satisfaction of the director.

Terms Used In Ohio Code 909.08

  • agriculture: includes farming; ranching; aquaculture; algaculture meaning the farming of algae; apiculture and related apicultural activities, production of honey, beeswax, honeycomb, and other related products; horticulture; viticulture, winemaking, and related activities; animal husbandry, including, but not limited to, the care and raising of livestock, equine, and fur-bearing animals; poultry husbandry and the production of poultry and poultry products; dairy production; the production of field crops, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, nursery stock, ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees, flowers, sod, or mushrooms; timber; pasturage; any combination of the foregoing; the processing, drying, storage, and marketing of agricultural products when those activities are conducted in conjunction with, but are secondary to, such husbandry or production; and any additions or modifications to the foregoing made by the director of agriculture by rule adopted in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Revised Code. See Ohio Code 1.61
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59

When such diseases or bees have been controlled or eradicated in the queen rearing apiary, or if no serious bee disease is diagnosed or Africanized honey bees are found, the director shall issue a certificate, signed by the state apiarist, a copy of which shall be attached to each package or shipment of queen bees mailed or shipped. The certificate shall be valid for, but not to exceed, one year. The use of tags or other devices bearing an invalid or altered certificate and the misuse of any valid certificate is prohibited.