Tennessee Code 44-15-107 – Inspection program
Terms Used In Tennessee Code 44-15-107
- Apiary: means a collection of one (1) or more colonies of bees in beehives at a location. 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
- Property: includes both personal and real property. 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
The state apiarist, assisted by the apiary inspectors identified in this chapter, has the authority and responsibility to establish and implement a program for inspection of apiaries throughout the state for the purpose of detecting regulated bee diseases and pests and for implementing control measures as needed to minimize the adverse impacts of those diseases and pests on the honeybee population in the state. The apiary inspection program will be conducted in accordance with standard procedures that are developed by the state apiarist. The state apiarist may require or supervise the treatment, destruction, or disposition of diseased bees or contaminated bee equipment or bee supplies in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated under the authority of this chapter. Any apiary inspector duly authorized by the state apiarist has the authority to go upon any public or private property for the purpose of conducting an inspection of an apiary located on that property. The inspector shall make a reasonable effort to notify the beekeeper of a planned inspection prior to the actual inspection.