Today, July 10, is National Don’t Step on a Bee Day, a day to promote awareness of the small, yet precious bee and its importance to the ecosystem. According to the United States Geologic Survey, the science agency for the Department of the Interior, of the 20,000 bees known worldwide, about 4,000 are native to the United States. (Sadly, the honeybee is not one of them.) These native bees are responsible for the pollination of approximately 75% of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts grown in the United States. Despite the importance of bees to the ecosystem, there are a lack of federal rules and regulations protecting these small creatures. The Honeybee Act, 7 U.S.C. §§ 281 - 286, governs the importation of honeybees. Its goal is “to prevent the introduction and spread of diseases and parasites that are harmful to the bee population, the introduction of genetically undesirable germ plasm of honeybees, or the introduction and spread of undesirable species of subspecies of honeybees and the semen of honeybees.” Violations can result in a fine, imprisonment, or both.
Despite the relative lack of laws and regulations protecting the bee, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken steps to safeguard bees and other pollinators. In January 2020, the EPA released proposed interim decisions for certain chemical insecticides. Additional steps taken by the EPA include: implementing a policy protecting bees from agricultural pesticide spray and dust application while bees are under contract to provide pollination services, prohibiting the use of certain chemicals when bees are present, issuing guidance for assessing the risks and effects a proposed pesticide may have on bees, and developing a Pollinator Protection Initiative.
On the state level, the Texas Apiary Inspection Service (TAIS) is the agency tasked with safeguarding the apiary industry of Texas. The TAIS operates under the authority of Chapter 131 of the Texas Agriculture Code. Under the Texas Agriculture Code, the Director of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station shall appoint a qualified entomologist to serve as chief apiary inspector. Tex. Agric. Code § 131.021 delineates the powers and duties of the inspector. Such powers include adopting rules to control, eradicate, or prevent the spread or dissemination of contagious diseases and seizing and ordering the destruction, treatment, or sale of products equipment that is determined to be diseased. The inspector also has the authority under Tex. Agric. Code § 131.022 to declare a quarantine should the need arise. The movement of bees (other than using their own wings) is also regulated by the chief apiary inspector. Permits for importation and intrastate shipment are required. However, the statute does not specify a similar requirement for exportation. Nevertheless, persons exporting bees may apply for a permit from the inspector.
Additional regulations governing bees can be found in Chapter 71 of the Texas Administrative Code. There, you will find rules regarding European honey bee certification, apiary quarantine, and complaints concerning the disease status of an apiary.
On this National Don’t Step on a Bee Day, please protect these little pollinators. Doing so helps our flowers flourish and our gardens grow. To learn more about native Texas bees, check out this article from the Native Plant Society of Texas.
