Beekeeping in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Beekeeping Regulations

• The state of Pennsylvania requires legal registration for all beekeepers. As of 2010, the fee is $10 for two years. A state inspection is required to register, and all hives, bee packages, honeybee queens and beekeeping equipment coming into Pennsylvania also must be inspected. To prevent spread of bee diseases, state inspectors set the additional goal of inspecting 50 percent of Pennsylvania hives once every two years by visiting the sites. Bees must be kept in frame-type, movable hives to be accessible for inspection.

Bee Diseases

• Pennsylvania has been the scene of several serious outbreaks of American Foul Brood, a contagious disease which lead to the state's 1921 and 1994 beekeeping laws, which require the state registration and inspections. Pennsylvania bees also have been subject to colony collapse disorder, thought to be caused by infection with a contagious fungus combined with viruses. Wax worms, a caterpillar that invades the hive and eats the honey and wax, is also a problem in Pennsylvania.

Other Beekeeping Challenges

• A large population of black bears resides in Pennsylvania. These powerful animals love honey and are difficult to discourage. The U.S. Department of Fish and Game recommends electric fencing around bee hives in known bear areas, and some keepers have had luck with setting up alarm systems around their hives. Africanized honeybees (the so-called "killer bees") have established themselves in the state. These are somewhat smaller than domesticated honeybees and only pose a threat when a beekeeper mistakes a swarm of these bees for his own and keeps it. They become extremely aggressive when the keeper attempts to collect the honey. Chemical pesticides kill bees and must not be used on any site where bees are housed or feed. The nectar of the mountain laurel tree, a native plant in Pennsylvania, adds toxins to honey, making it unpalatable and in some cases causing a rare paralytic and seizure disorder in people who consume it. It should not be kept on bee territory.

Getting Started

• The Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association has educational meetings all throughout the state to help novice beekeepers get started. They can provide contacts for inspection and registration, education on beekeeping, and referrals for buying equipment and starter packages of honeybees.