The following article applies to people importing honey bees into NB for 2007. Please note that this applies to honey bees being brought in for any purpose and includes people purchasing honey bees, renting honey bees, selling honey bees and any other use of honey bees. These procedures are in place to protect the honey bee industry from honey bee diseases.

Interprovincial movement of honey bees into NB for 2007

The following outlines the New Brunswick sanitary requirements for honey bees being transported from outside New Brunswick into New Brunswick. Please find below information on
A) Requirements for honey bees to enter New Brunswick from outside New Brunswick, and
B) Beekeepers who do not meet these requirements.

Subject A:
Requirements for honey bees to enter New Brunswick from outside New Brunswick

A beekeeper intending to transport honey bees from outside NB to NB must do the following: The beekeeper must ensure that the bees are accompanied with a “Permit to Import and Transport Honey Bees / Autorisation d’importer et de transporter des abeilles” (issued by the Provincial Apiarist in NB) which is dated not more than six months before the date the bees are imported into NB.

Procedure to obtain the certificate:

a) The bees have to have been inspected in the Province or Territory of origin, within six months of the expected date of being imported into New Brunswick.

Inspection details:
For each apiary, a minimum of ten percent of colonies or ten colonies (whichever is GREATER) is required to have been inspected for the following diseases: American foulbrood (AFB), European foulbrood (EFB), obvious signs of Varroa mite, Tracheal mite or any obvious signs of any diseases which may be considered detrimental to the colony. If it is not possible to sample for tracheal mite, an earlier record stating tracheal mite levels may be considered satisfactory, or a statement indicating treatments applied against these mites may be considered acceptable. The inspection form should also state what treatments have recently been used for other diseases.

NOTE: If there is any AFB found in any of the inspected colonies, then one hundred percent of the colonies have to be inspected for AFB. Each colony with AFB has to be clearly marked, stating that AFB is present and with the inspection date. These colonies will NOT be allowed into NB.

ALSO NOTE: There should be information on the inspection form stating whether or not resistant American foulbrood has been found within the last two years. Colonies will not be allowed to enter NB from an apiary if resistant American foulbrood has been found in that apiary within the previous two years.

b) The results of the inspection must be sent by fax (506-453-7978)
or mail to:

Chris Maund
Integrated Pest Management Specialist (Entomologist) and Provincial Apiarist
Crop Development Branch
NB Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture
P.O. Box 6000, Fredericton, NB
E3B 5H1

c) If the results of the inspection are acceptable, the provincial Apiarist in NB will then issue the following certificate to the beekeeper in the Province or Territory of origin: “Permit to Import and Transport Honey Bees / Autorisation d’importer et de transporter des abeilles”. (This certificate will only be valid if it is dated within six months of the date the bees are imported into NB.)

Subject B:
Beekeepers who do not follow these requirements

Beekeepers who do not follow these requirements may be subject to penalties.

Complete texts for the Apiary Inspection Act and Apiary Inspection Act – General Regulation are found at the following respective sites:
http://www.gnb.ca/acts/acts/a-09.htm and
http://www.gnb.ca/0062/regs/97-98.htm.

These regulations are designed to help maintain the beekeeping industry in a healthy state by helping prevent the spread of bee diseases.

Please note that these are provincial requirements. A person importing honey bees from outside Canada would ALSO have to follow Federal requirements.

These conditions are subject to change without notice.

Please contact Chris Maund, Integrated Pest Management Specialist (Entomologist) and Provincial Apiarist, if further information is required. (tel: 506-453-3477) chris.maund@gnb.ca .