Mid Ohio Valley Beekeepers' Association

Apiary Registration

 Both Ohio and West Virginia require beekeepers to annually register their apiaries. Ohio charges $5.00 per apiary, while West Virginia does not.  
 Print copies of each State's registration forms below, using Adobe Reader.

Ohio's forms
Apiary Registration Form       No Consent Form         

West Virginia forms

            Apiary Registration Form 

           OHIO APIARY INSPECTION

The Apiary Section’s purpose is to promote and perpetuate the art of beekeeping within the State of Ohio. This is accomplished by the establishment of sound regulatory controls, and through education. Specifically, within Chapter 909 of the Ohio Revised Code, beekeepers are required to register their apiaries and control diseases that are considered to be serious. Annually, Ohio’s beekeepers complete registration forms stating all their apiary locations and submit these forms to the Department of Agriculture. Approximately 3,000 beekeepers statewide register 5,000 apiaries containing approximately 26,000 honeybee colonies. Registration information is then entered into our computer database. This information is provided to our two state inspectors and 70 county appointed inspectors for the purposes of inspecting honeybee colonies. 

Inspections are conducted to determine the health status of the colonies and their developing brood. Honeybees can be subjected to a number of bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic afflictions. These diseases are honeybee specific, and can reduce the adult bees’ life span, or literally end the life of colonies and developing brood. 

Our objective is to inspect all colonies, diagnose any diseases or pests and recommend to the beekeeper appropriate controls. Through timely disease diagnosis and control, beekeepers can keep healthy honeybee colonies.
 Coinciding with our regulatory requirements, a significant educational effort directly from our O.D.A. office and within the field, provides beekeepers with management answers. A fact sheet series and apiary analysis program are available to beekeepers. Fact sheets covering topics about diseases, controls and various beekeeping subjects provide quick answers to problems. The “Apiary Analysis” program was specifically designed to help address management problems for the novice and hobby beekeepers. 

Healthy honeybee colony populations within Ohio kept by knowledgeable beekeepers directly benefits the apiary industry. However, the importance of bee pollination in the production of fruits, vegetables and seed crops is virtually immeasurable. Increased crop yields enable Ohio citizens to enjoy a variety of wholesome food products.