§ 2-22-110 — Registration by beekeepers

(a) (1) (A) A person owning, leasing, or possessing bees within ten (10) days after coming into ownership or possession of bees or before moving bees from outside the State of Arkansas, shall file with the State Plant Board an application for registration. (B) The application shall set forth the exact location by legal description of the premises, together with the name of the owner or possessor of the apiary, the number of colonies of bees in each apiary owned by him or her or in his or her possession or under his or her control, together with such other information as may be required by the board. (2) The beekeeper may register one (1) location for each ten (10) colonies for the first one thousand (1,000) colonies and may register one (1) location for each twenty (20) colonies thereafter. (3) A new registration is required when any significant change occurs in the location or operation of the beekeeper. (4) All applications for registration shall be approved or rejected by the board so as to effectuate compliance with this chapter or rules promulgated under this section. (b) (1) No person can place bees on property other than his or her own within three (3) miles of a previously registered area without the written permission of the registrant. (2) Upon written complaint made to the board by any beekeeper or any landowner whose land is in the registered area that the registrant or any other person claiming prior bee pasturage rights is not properly covering the area so registered, then the board shall be authorized to permit the placing in such area of other bees or bee yards as, in its judgment, shall be sufficient. (c) (1) (A) Nonresidents of this state who desire to locate their colonies of bees in Arkansas shall register their bees and the locations they desire as required in subsection (a) of this section. (B) Registration shall be required annually. (2) If a nonresident beekeeper fails to place his or her bees in an area registered by him or her during the registration period, the beekeeper shall forfeit his or her rights to that area and shall not be allowed to apply for that area until one (1) year after the forfeiture.

Legislative History

Acts 1977, No. 161, § 3; 1979, No. 149, § 1; A.S.A. 1947, § 78-1727.