Butte County Municipal Code Ch. 39 Acarine Mites

This chapter shall be known and may be referred to in all proceedings as the Butte County Acarine Mite Quarantine Ordinance.

(Ord. No. 2562, § I, 10-21-86; Ord. No. 2639, § I, 11-17-87)

For the purpose of this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions apply:

(a) Bees: Shall have the meaning assigned to it by section 29004 of the California Food and Agricultural Code.

(b) Acarine mite: Acarapis woodi, an internal parasitic mite of the honeybee, Apis mellifera.

(c) Host and possible carriers: Bee colonies, packaged bees and queen bees of the species Apis mellifera; comb, used hives, and any other appliance used in association with bees except those free of live bees for seven (7) days or longer immediately prior to entry into Butte County.

(d) Commissioner: The Agricultural Commissioner of the County of Butte, State of California.

(Ord. No. 2562, § I, 10-21-86; Ord. No. 2639, § I, 11-17-87)

The board of supervisors finds that the acarine mite is not known to occur in Butte County and if established would negatively affect the apiary industry. To prevent the entry of the acarine mite into Butte County, a quarantine is established against acarine mite, its host, and possible carriers.

(Ord. No. 2562, § I, 10-21-86; Ord. No. 2639, § I, 11-17-87)

Except as provided in section 39-6, the shipment of bees from counties in California into Butte County is prohibited.

(Ord. No. 2562, § I, 10-21-86; Ord. No. 2639, § I, 11-17-87)

Persons receiving or bringing shipments of bees from other counties in California into Butte County shall immediately notify the commissioner upon arrival and place the bees in a location designated by the commissioner. Upon commissioner verification and approval of certification required in section 39-6, the bees may move without restriction relative to this chapter within the county.

(Ord. No. 2562, § I, 10-21-86; Ord. No. 2639, § I, 11-17-87)

(a) Shipments of bees from other counties in California may enter into Butte County provided they are accompanied by a certificate, issued by the origin county agricultural commissioner, verifying that:

(1) The origin county conducts an annual survey for acarine mite at the level of the 1985-1986 California survey for acarine mite and that, based on the latest survey results, acarine mite is not known to occur in the origin county; or

(2) The shipment of honeybees, within thirty (30) days prior to entry into Butte County, was sampled and found free of acarine mite, by collecting, dissecting and examining at least seventy-five (75) bees from each one hundred (100) colonies, or if the shipment consists of less than one hundred (100) colonies, at least seventy-five (75) bees have been so examined.

(b) Shipments of honeybees not certified as required above shall continue to be held as prescribed in section 39-5 until the owner or agent does one (1) of the following:

(1) Elects to remove said bees from Butte County; or

(2) Authorizes the shipment of bees to be sampled by the commissioner. Sampling shall consist of collecting, dissecting and examining at least seventy-five (75) bees from each one hundred (100) colonies, or if the shipment consists of less than one hundred (100) colonies, at least seventy-five (75) bees have been so examined and found to be free from acarine mite.

(Ord. No. 2562, § I, 10-21-86; Ord. No. 2639, § I, 11-17-87)

Any shipment of bees found to be infested with acarine mite shall be either:

(1) Removed from the County of Butte within forty-eight (48) hours of written notice to the owner or agent, at his or her expense; or

(2) At his or her election, be destroyed under the supervision of the commissioner.

Failure to remove said bees within forty-eight (48) hours of such written notice shall be deemed an election by the owner or agent that such bees be destroyed.

(Ord. No. 2562, § I, 10-21-86; Ord. No. 2639, § I, 11-17-87)

Hives which have been sampled as per section 39-6 and found free from acarine mite shall either be marked by placing on each hive an approved sticker or accompanied by other appropriate certification issued by the inspecting county and deemed to be acceptable to the commissioner.

(Ord. No. 2652, § I, 10-21-86; Ord. No. 2639, § I, 11-17-87)

The board of supervisors may, by resolution, set the fees for any inspection and destruction of honeybees required pursuant to this chapter.

(Ord. No. 2562, § I, 10-21-86; Ord. No. 2639, § I, 11-17-87)