The first Apiary Inspection Program was started in 1899, passed by a resolution of the New York State Beekeeper’s Association, now known as the Empire State Honey Producer’s Association. Although there were laws within the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) dating back to 1884 that made it unlawful to harbor bees infected with American Foulbrood, inspections were carried out by a “competent beekeeper” appointed on the county level. The New York State Beekeeper’s Association asked that the Governor expand the inspection program and appoint a state inspector for a term of two years. The NYS Apiary Inspection Program was created and, more than a century later, AGM continues to operate the program. Today, the Apiary Inspection program plans to employ four full-time seasonal inspectors who will cover all 62 counties of the state.
AGM inspectors begin their season in April by inspecting nucs and queens produced in New York. This is required as part of Article 15 of Agriculture and Markets Bee Diseases Law, which was put into place to protect beekeepers and ensure their purchases were disease free. In 2021, inspectors visited and inspected 87 beekeeping operations and certified 4,362 nucs and 24,235 queens to be sold.
After the majority of nucs and queens are certified, the inspectors then prioritize additional visits on bee yards where American Foulbrood (AFB) was previously detected. These revisits are critical in insuring that all cases of AFB are found and remediated, reducing the chance of spread. In 2021, inspectors confirmed 42 colonies infected with AFB, within 10 beekeeping operations in 12 counties. In many of these cases, the beekeeper was proactive in suspecting AFB and alerting inspectors.
This is also the time when most general beekeeping inspections take place. Inspectors visit beekeepers large and small, getting a sense of the overall health of New York’s bee population. While general inspections are welcome by many beekeepers, they are not required and can be declined.
Inspectors conclude the season by inspecting and certifying migratory beekeeping operations so they may enter other states. In 2021, AGM issued 79 interstate certificates for the movement of 49,271 full-sized colonies and 7,300 nucs. By the end of October, the cold sets in, the bees are tucked in, and the inspection season concludes until the following year.