Alabama § 2-14-4 - Movement or Shipment of Honeybees into State.

§ 2-14-4. Movement or Shipment of Honeybees into State.

(a) All honeybees shipped or moved into the State of Alabama shall be accompanied by a certificate of inspection, signed by the apiary inspector or other official performing similar duties of the state or country from which shipment is made, certifying that the bees and the combs and hives from which the bees were taken have been inspected by such official and that the bees, their combs, and hives are apparently free from contagious and infectious diseases. The inspection provided for in this section shall be based upon an actual examination of the bees and their combs, and hives, such examination or inspection to be made during brood-rearing and within a period of 60 days preceding the date of shipment. The inspection certificate required under this section shall be attached to each parcel or package of each shipment or movement in a conspicuous place, plainly written. All shipments or movements of honeybees into the State of Alabama shall be in combless packages only, and shipments or movements of honeybees into this state in violation of the requirements of this section shall be unlawful.

(b) It shall also be unlawful to ship or move into, within or out of the state a queen bee or other bees in packages or cages that contain food, any part of which is honey.

(c) Any person moving bees into this state on a comb in violation of this section shall be fined one hundred dollars ($100) per hive. The owner or other person in possession of the hives shall be given notice by the Department of Agriculture and Industries to move the hives within seven days of the notice. If the hives are not moved pursuant to the order of the department, the hives shall be destroyed. Upon conviction of a violation under this subsection, the judge may award a person providing information leading to the conviction a reward to be paid from the fine proceeds in an amount not to exceed one-half of the fines.

(d) This section shall not apply to bees moved into this state pursuant to a compliance agreement with the Department of Agriculture and Industries as provided by rule of the department.