Mississippi (MS)
On the runs: Southeast to Gulf to California
Record held: 37 fields — 21 published, 16 not published / not yet checked.
This is a thin record because the state publishes little of this layer. What it publishes is below; every field it does not publish is marked plainly instead of filled in. A short page with honest gaps is the right page for this state.
Regulator
StateMississippi
RegulatorMississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce — Bureau of Plant Industry
Regulator typeDepartment of agriculture division (dept-of-agriculture-division)
Regulator contactMississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce — Bureau of Plant Industry, Robert H. McCarty Bldg., 705 Stone Blvd, Mississippi State, MS 39762 • Mailing: P O Box 5207, Mississippi State, MS 39762 • (662) 325-3390 • Fax (662) 325-8397 • Director: Laura Vollor, LauraV@mdac.ms.gov • State Entomologist: Randy Boyle, Randy@mdac.ms.gov (as published on MDAC's Plant Pest Programs page).
Instruments
Entry permit (mississippi.entry-permit · issued by the destination side)
FeeNot published / not yet checked
Validity windowNot published / not yet checked
Notice deadlineThe certificate of inspection must be provided to BPI at least thirty (30) days in advance of entry (Bee Disease Regulations, Rule 103(1)). Under the compliance agreement, the beekeeper agrees to request permits in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to moving bees (Rule 101.01).
Lead timePrior to entering Mississippi, an entry permit must be obtained from the Bureau of Plant Industry. Before an entry permit is issued, a certificate of inspection issued by a state apiary official must be provided to BPI at least thirty (30) days in advance, along with the number of colonies requesting to be moved (Bee Disease Regulations, Rule 103(1)).
What the certificate must stateThe certificate of inspection shall state that at least 10% of the apiaries owned/operated by the applicant have been inspected within 10 months of shipment and meet the Mississippi Certificate of Inspection Standards (Rule 103(1)). The filed rule text states those standards as: colony infections not to exceed 2% American Foulbrood, 5% European Foulbrood, or 25% chalkbrood, with colonies inspected at a time when they were actively rearing brood; and verification that 100% of the apiaries for which a permit is requested have been treated with a technique or miticide for controlling Varroa mites and/or inspected and found apparently free of parasitic mites (filed rule text, Mississippi Secretary of State).
Origin history requiredNot published / not yet checked
Who applies / who signsBeekeepers who transport into, operate, and maintain colonies in Mississippi obtain the entry permit from the Bureau of Plant Industry (Rule 103(1)). A Compliance Agreement between BPI and the beekeeper must be established to ensure regulated articles are moved to and from Mississippi in accordance with the Bee Disease Regulations; under the agreement the beekeeper agrees to request permits in writing at least 30 days prior to moving bees after having the necessary inspections completed (Rule 101, 101.01).
Health / inspection certificate (mississippi.certificate-of-inspection · issued by the origin side)
FeeNot published / not yet checked
Validity windowThe certificate must be based upon an actual inspection of the bees themselves within a period of sixty (60) days preceding the date of shipment (Miss. Code § 69-25-101). Separately, the certificate filed with BPI at least 30 days in advance for the entry permit must state that at least 10% of the applicant's apiaries were inspected within 10 months of shipment and meet the Mississippi Certificate of Inspection Standards (Rule 103(1)) — see the entry-permit instrument; the sources fetched do not state whether one certificate satisfies both provisions.
Notice deadlineNot published / not yet checked
Lead timeNot published / not yet checked
What the certificate must stateAll honey bees shipped or moved into Mississippi must be accompanied by a certificate of inspection signed by the State Entomologist, State Apiary Inspector, or corresponding official of the state or country from which the bees are shipped, certifying the apparent freedom of the honeybees themselves and their combs and hives from contagious and infectious diseases and parasites, based upon an actual inspection within 60 days preceding shipment (Miss. Code § 69-25-101). Section 69-25-101 does not apply to shipments of live bees in wire cages without combs of honey.
Origin history requiredNot published / not yet checked
Who applies / who signsThe certificate is signed by the State Entomologist, State Apiary Inspector, or corresponding official of the state or country of origin. Where no official apiary inspector or state entomologist is available in the state of origin, the department may issue a permit upon presentation of suitable evidence showing the bees to be free of disease (Miss. Code § 69-25-101).
Registration (mississippi.registration-of-apiaries · issued by the destination side)
FeeNot published / not yet checked
Validity windowThe registration shall not expire until written notice from the apiary owner (Bee Disease Regulations, Rule 102).
Notice deadlineNot published / not yet checked
Lead timeRegistration of each apiary shall be achieved at any time (Bee Disease Regulations, Rule 102).
What the certificate must stateApiaries owned and/or managed by a beekeeper may be registered by legal description with the Bureau of Plant Industry each year. Non-commercial beekeepers may also register their apiaries and must meet all the requirements governing commercial apiaries (Bee Disease Regulations, Rule 102).
Origin history requiredNot published / not yet checked
Who applies / who signsThe apiary owner registers by requesting the appropriate application from the Bureau of Plant Industry, completing the application, and filing it with the Bureau (Bee Disease Regulations, Rule 102).
Health / inspection certificate (mississippi.outbound-certificate · issued by the destination side)
FeeNot published / not yet checked
Validity windowNot published / not yet checked
Notice deadlineNot published / not yet checked
Lead timeNot published / not yet checked
What the certificate must stateWhen a beekeeper wishes to move colonies of bees to another state, the Bureau of Plant Industry shall make the necessary inspections which meet the entry requirements of that state and issue the proper certificate, if allowable. Such a certificate may be issued, with the approval of the receiving state, based on treatments for Varroa and/or tracheal mites in lieu of inspection, or once colonies have been inspected and found apparently free of contagious and infectious bee diseases and parasites (Bee Disease Regulations, Rule 103(2)).
Origin history requiredNot published / not yet checked
Who applies / who signsThe Bureau of Plant Industry makes the inspections and issues the certificate for colonies moved out of Mississippi to another state (Bee Disease Regulations, Rule 103(2)).
Moving bees — the rules around the instruments
Passing throughAll beekeepers moving bees into or through Mississippi must have them covered by netting to prevent escape (Bee Disease Regulations, Rule 103(3)). No through-movement permit exemption is published in Rule 103: beekeepers who transport into, operate, and maintain colonies in Mississippi must obtain an entry permit from the Bureau of Plant Industry prior to entering the state (Rule 103(1)).
Border and destination inspectionMiss. Code § 69-25-105 authorizes the department, its agents, and employees to enter any depot, express office, storeroom, warehouse, or other premises to inspect honeybees and fixtures for contagious or infectious diseases or parasites, including the Africanized honeybee, or to inspect for transportation in violation of the Bee Disease Act. No border-station stop procedure is published.
County layerNot published / not yet checked
Recognition of other states' certificatesNo equal-standards recognition rule is published for origin certificates. Where regulated articles originate from a state that has no state apiary official or state entomologist available, a permit may be issued by the Bureau of Plant Industry with special requirements (Bee Disease Regulations, Rule 103(1)).
Consequences, as publishedAny regulated articles brought into Mississippi without an entry permit shall be immediately placed under quarantine until released by the state apiary official or state entomologist after inspection for contagious diseases, parasites, and pests, including the Africanized honeybee or hybridized African/European bee (Bee Disease Regulations, Rule 103(1)). For violations of the Bureau of Plant Industry's rules and regulations and of Miss. Code §§ 69-25-101–109 — the bee provisions this entry regime rests on, including the § 69-25-101 certificate requirement and the § 69-25-105 inspection authority — Miss. Code § 69-25-51 provides: the Director of the Bureau of Plant Industry, or his designee, acts as reviewing officer on a written complaint; if the reviewing officer determines there is substantial evidence a violation has occurred, the reviewing officer may issue a warning, suspend, modify, deny, cancel or revoke any license or permit granted by the department to the accused, and levy a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000.00 for each violation; the accused may request a hearing within 30 days from receipt of the reviewing officer's decision, before a three-member committee of the Bureau of Plant Industry advisory board.
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