Beekeeping - Apiculture in Arkansas
Arkansas Apiary Laws
In Arkansas, laws regarding the sale, transport and keeping of honey bee are
regulated by the Arkansas
State Plant Board.
Registration
These laws require that the location of all apiaries (bee yards) be registered
with the Plant Board and that all honey bees that are transported through or
within the state have a valid certificate of health to ensure that diseases and
hive pests are not accidently introduced or spread. Arkansas beekeepers are
asked to complete the registration process 20 days prior to setting up a new
apiary site. Hives should be registered within 10 days of ownership or
possession, or before moving hives from out of state.
Instructions and application for registration
(PDF) can be found online.
Inspection
The law requires that authorized plant board personnel be allowed access to bee
hives in order to inspect them for contagious diseases and pests. All managed
honey bees must be kept in hives with moveable frames to facilitate inspection.
Beekeepers may be required to treat, disinfect or destroy diseased colonies as
instructed by the apiary inspector. If foulbrood disease is found, all bees,
hives, tools and other equipment at an apiary site may be put under quarantine.
A certificate of inspection will be provided for healthy colonies. This
certificate is valid for one year, and is blanket permission to move hives
within the state. The sale, gift, or other transfer of ownership of hives cannot
be made without a valid inspection certificate. The transport of bees into
Arkansas from out of state must be accompanied by a certificate from that
state’s inspectors, which must declare the hive(s) free from foulbrood and other
contagious diseases. This certificate must be current within 90 days of
shipment.
The three-mile rule
It is against Arkansas Apiary Law to place bee hives within 3 miles of an
established bee yard without that beekeeper’s knowledge and consent, unless you
place them on your own land. This law is intended to protect your bees from
diseases and pests that can be spread through drifting and robbing. When you
apply for apiary registration, other beekeepers within three miles of this
location will be automatically notified, if necessary.
You can view or download the full text of the
Arkansas Apiary Law
(PDF)
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