CHAPTER 22
APIARY
[Prior to 7/27/88 see Agriculture Department 30—Ch 24]
21—22.1(160) Diseases. The diseases which the state apiarist shall inspect for are, but shall not be limited to: American Foulbrood, European Foulbrood, Nosema and Chalk Brood.
21—22.2(160) Parasites. The parasites for which the state apiarist shall inspect include, but shall not be limited to: the Varroa mite (Varroa jacobsoni), Tropilaelaps mite (Tropilaelaps clareae) and the honeybee tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi).
21—22.3(160) Requirement for the sale of bees. All honeybees offered for sale in Iowa must meet one of the following two requirements:
	1.	Colonies are apparently free of Varroa mites according to the detection methods listed below.
	2.	Colonies are under treatment with a miticide approved by EPA for control of Varroa mites in honeybee colonies and have an average of 10 or fewer Varroa mites per 300 adult bees or 500 or fewer Varroa mites per sticky board.
Detection methods to be used for the Varroa mite are the ether roll method with at least 300 adult bees per colony from 20 percent of the colonies in the apiary or the sticky board method with an EPA-approved miticide in 5 percent of the colonies in the apiary.
21—22.4(160) Certificate of inspection required. All honeybees transported into Iowa shall be accompanied by an approved certificate or permit issued by the state of origin or the state of Iowa. The certificate or permit shall indicate that the bees meet one of the two following requirements:
	1.	An average of 10 or fewer Varroa mites per 300 adult bees was detected by the ether roll test.
	2.	Colonies are under treatment with a miticide approved by EPA for control of Varroa mites in honeybee colonies at the time of shipment.
21—22.5(160) Certificate of inspection expiration. A certificate of inspection issued by the state of Iowa shall be valid for up to nine months from the date of issuance. An Iowa certificate may be revoked at any time if there is evidence of a disease or parasite infestation or Africanized bees in the certified colonies.
21—22.6(160) American Foulbrood treatment. If upon inspection American Foulbrood disease is detected in colonies, those colonies shall be identified and the disease abated in a timely manner that will prevent spread to neighboring colonies or apiaries as determined by the state apiarist.
The method of disease cleanup will be specified following inspection, depending on the severity of the infection and strength of the bee colony. A strong colony with a light infection of American Foulbrood may be treated with Terramycin or diseased combs removed or a combination of these methods. A severely infected, weak colony must be killed and the diseased combs destroyed by burning or melting at a temperature high enough to kill disease spores. In any case, all combs containing American Foulbrood scale shall be destroyed.
21—22.7(160) Varroa mite treatment. If upon inspection an average of more than 10 Varroa mites are detected in 300 bees by the ether roll method or 500 mites per colony by the sticky board method, then the apiary shall be quarantined and the owner of the apiary ordered to depopulate or treat all colonies with an EPA-approved miticide within ten days from the day the owner is notified.
If an average of 10 or fewer Varroa mites by the ether roll method or 500 or fewer mites by the sticky board method are detected, then the apiary shall be quarantined and the owner of the apiary shall be notified and given instruction on the nature of the mite infestation and the best method of treatment. Such treatment of all colonies in the apiary shall be initiated no later than October 15 of the same year.
21—22.8(160) Undesirable subspecies of honeybees. Each of the following undesirable subspecies of honeybees is found to be capable of inflicting damage to man or animals greater than managed or feral honeybees commonly utilized in North America and is declared a nuisance:
	1.	African honeybee, (Apis mellifera scutellata),
	2.	Cape honeybee, (Apis mellifera capensis), and
	3.	Any other undesirable subspecies of honeybees determined by the state apiarist to be a threat to the state.
Detection of undesirable subspecies of honeybees in the state shall initiate the quarantine of all colonies within a distance prescribed by the state apiarist of the infested apiary. All colonies within the quarantine area shall be inspected. A recommended eradication or control method shall be determined and prescribed by the state apiarist.
21—22.9(160) European honeybee certification. All honeybees transported into Iowa shall be accompanied by an approved certificate or permit from the state of origin indicating that the bees are European honeybees. Honeybees must be certified by one of the following methods:
	1.	Honeybees are located outside counties which have been determined by the state of origin to be infested with Africanized honeybees.
	2.	Honeybees have been tested according to the 1991 NASDA National Certification Plan and found to be European.
The certificate or permit shall state the method used to certify the bees. The certificate or permit shall be dated within 90 days prior to entry into Iowa. Africanized honeybees may not be transported into Iowa.
21—22.10(160) Prohibit movement of bees from designated states. A person shall not directly or indirectly transport or cause to be transported into the state of Iowa honeybees originating in the states of Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and the counties of Faribault, Freeborn, Mower and Steele in Minnesota. As used in this rule, “honeybees” shall include, but not be limited to, the following: colonies, nucs, packages, banked queens and queen battery boxes. However, the shipping of honeybee queens and attendants in individual queen cages will be allowed when accompanied by a valid certificate of health indicating that the bees are from an apiary free of small hive beetles. This rule shall remain effective until February 18, 2001.
21—22.11(160) Inspection required for the sale of bees, comb, or used equipment. All honeybee colonies, beeswax comb and used beekeeping equipment offered for sale in Iowa shall meet the following requirements:
	1.	Be inspected for infectious bee diseases and parasites by the Iowa department of agriculture and land stewardship or another state’s department of agriculture not more than 60 days prior to the sale.
	2.	Be apparently free of American foulbrood disease.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code sections 160.2, 160.9 and 160.14.
[Filed 4/13/76, Notice 2/9/76—published 5/3/76, effective 6/7/76]
[Filed emergency 7/8/88 after Notice 6/1/88—published 7/27/88, effective 7/8/88]
[Filed 10/11/91, Notice 4/17/91—published 10/30/91, effective 12/4/91]
[Filed 4/1/93, Notice 2/3/93—published 4/28/93, effective 6/2/93]
[Filed 5/29/96, Notice 2/28/96—published 6/19/96, effective 7/24/96]
[Filed emergency 4/15/98—published 5/6/98, effective 4/15/98]
[Filed 6/12/98, Notice 5/6/98—published 7/1/98, effective 8/5/98]
[Filed emergency 2/18/99—published 3/10/99, effective 2/18/99]
[Filed 5/25/99, Notice 3/10/99—published 6/16/99, effective 7/21/99]
[Filed 12/22/99, Notice 11/3/99—published 1/12/00, effective 2/16/00]