(a) The state apiarist and the duly authorized apiary inspectors have the power and authority to declare a quarantine on any apiary found to be infected/infested with any regulated bee diseases or pests. Immediately after the apiary is declared to be infected/infested, a quarantine notice will be presented to the beekeeper and will include specific instructions as to required actions by the beekeeper. The appliances directly associated with that apiary shall be under quarantine and shall be subject to regulatory actions imposed by the department. The commissioner may declare a geographical area quarantine against any county, group of counties, region, or state where a regulated bee disease or pest is found in a sufficient number of apiaries that the infestation can be considered endemic. However, bees may not be moved from the quarantine area except by permission from the state apiarist or an apiary inspector.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 44-15-110

  • Apiary: means a collection of one (1) or more colonies of bees in beehives at a location. See Tennessee Code 44-15-102
  • Appliances: means any apparatus, tools, machines or other devices used in handling and manipulating bees, honey, and wax that may be used in an apiary, or in transporting bees and their products and apiary supplies. See Tennessee Code 44-15-102
  • Bee disease or pest: means a condition in which a colony is infested/infected with a bacterial, fungal, viral, or parasitic condition or an organism that can or will affect the well-being of a colony. See Tennessee Code 44-15-102
  • beehive: means that container or structure used by a beekeeper to provide a cavity in which a colony of bees is expected to establish a permanent nest. See Tennessee Code 44-15-102
  • Beekeeper: means any individual, association, corporation, or other entity who deliberately provides nesting sites for colonies of honeybees and attempts to establish and maintain colonies of honeybees at any location. See Tennessee Code 44-15-102
  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of agriculture or the commissioner's designated agent. See Tennessee Code 44-15-102
  • Department: means the Tennessee department of agriculture. See Tennessee Code 44-15-102
  • honeybees: means any developmental stage of any sub- species of the species Apis mellifem. See Tennessee Code 44-15-102
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State apiarist: means that person employed by the department who has the qualifications prescribed by this chapter and has been designated as state apiarist by the commissioner. See Tennessee Code 44-15-102
(b) It is unlawful for any person in the state to participate in or conduct a deliberate act that exposes free-flying honeybees to a known source of any regulated bee disease or pest or to any substance commonly known to kill bees. This section does not apply to farmers, gardeners, or others who are using legally registered pesticides in strict compliance with the label instructions. The deliberate acts that are prohibited include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Placing in a location that is accessible to free-flying honeybees any beeswax combs, beekeeping equipment, honey, or other substance known to be attractive to honeybees and capable of transmitting bee diseases or pests and known to have been in contact with or associated with sources of regulated bee diseases or pests;
(2) Placing in a location that is accessible to free-flying honeybees any honey, sugar syrup, corn syrup, or other substance known to be attractive to bees and to which some pesticide or other substance harmful to honeybees has been added; or
(3) Producing, making, releasing, or otherwise causing any spray, smoke, fog, dust, or other substances to enter a beehive for the purpose of killing the bees therein except as requested by the owner of the bees or as required by a state regulatory order.
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