Sec. 15.07.01.01. Definitions

A. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.

B. Terms Defined.

(1) "Abandoned apiary" means an apiary in which the owner or operator fails to manipulate the colonies in the customary manner, such as:

(a) Inspect each colony in the spring and notify the Department of any colony with a disease;

(b) Provide super room during honey flow;

(c) Remove the honey crop at the end of the season;

(d) Inspect each colony in the fall when the crop is removed and notify the Department of any colony with a disease;

(e) Provide reasonable and adequate attention to each colony during the year to prevent robbing, which might jeopardize the welfare of neighboring colonies through the spread of disease.

(2) "Apiary" means a collection of one or more colonies of bees, including all appliances and equipment used in maintaining and operating it.

(3) Appliance.

(a) "Appliance" means any apparatus, tool, machine, or other device, such as gloves or veils used in handling and manipulating bees, hives, honey, and wax.

(b) "Appliance" includes any container of honey and wax used in an apiary or in transporting bees, their products, and apiary supplies.

(4) "Bee" means any stage of the common honey bee, Apis mellifera L.

(5) "Bee disease" means:

(a) American foulbrood, European foulbrood, chalkbrood, honey bee tracheal mite, varroa mite, small hive beetle;

(b) Any infectious agent, predator, or parasite determined by the Department to be dangerously injurious to bees; or

(c) Any abnormal condition of egg, larval, pupal, or adult stages of bees.

(6) "Bee equipment" means frames, hives, supers, or other hive parts.

(7) "Colony" means the hive and includes bees, combs, honey, and equipment.

(8) "Department" means the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

(9) "Hive" includes barrel, box, box hive, frame hive, log gum, skep, or other natural or artificial receptacle or container, or any part of it, which may be used as a domicile for bees.

(10) "Honey house" means a structure where honey is extracted and processed for sale.

(11) "Inspector" means an individual designated by the Secretary to carry out the provisions of these regulations.

(12) "Person" includes:

(a) The State, any county, municipal corporation or other political subdivision of the State, or any of its units;

(b) An individual, receiver, trustee, guardian, executor, administrator, fiduciary, or representative of any kind; or

(c) Any partnership, firm, association, public or private corporation, or any other entity, unless otherwise provided.

(13) "Secretary" means the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary’s designee.