State Apiculturist Joan Mahoney reminds all beekeepers in New York state to register with the Department of Agriculture and Markets. If a beekeeper was already registered for 2021, they do not need to register again this year.
Click on the following link to register:
Register (you will receive an auto-generated email once you are added into the system)
Why are beekeepers being asked to register with the state? According to the Department of Agriculture and Markets, honeybee health is a critical issue. The department's Division of Plant Industry strives to assist beekeepers in maintaining their colonies in a healthy condition. Through inspection, certification, education, and outreach to beekeepers, the Division works to ensure the health of honeybees throughout the state. Registration enables the state to keep track of, and contact, beekeepers in a proactive way.
What are the consequences of not registering? Although the law does carry civil penalties (as do all Department of Agriculture and Markets laws), the state prefers to educate beekeepers as to why registration is important.
Some of the benefits of registration outlined by the state include:
> Creating the ability to communicate with all beekeepers in the state, possibly including a regular newsletter
> Letting beekeepers know when there is American Foul Brood in the area (note that Broome and Tioga counties had over 100 cases two years ago)
> Asking beekeepers for feedback on resources, hive health, and general problems they are seeing (such as high infections of European Foul Brood)
> Enabling inspectors to better manage their workload
> Focusing a larger part of the season on visiting and inspecting hobby beekeepers
> Helping Cornell University quantify the number of beekeepers in the state when asking for funding or conducting research
> Letting the state know who is selling nucs and queens so they can be properly inspected for disease before sending them into the public
> Establishing a swarm registry to help the public and local municipalities find someone in their area to deal with swarms
> Making a better argument for additional inspectors, given the number of beekeepers in the state (each inspector is currently responsible for 20 counties)
For more information, contact Joan Mahoney at
joan.mahoney@agriculture.ny.gov.