Wyo. Code R. 010-0005-50
General Agency, Board or Commission Rules
Chapter 50: Regulations Pertaining to Leafcutter Bees
Effective Date: 07/01/1997 to 08/01/2008
Rule Type: Superceded Rules & Regulations
Reference Number: 010.0005.50.07011997
Section 1. Authority. Pursuant to the authority vested in the Department of Agriculture by WYO. STAT. § 11-7-402, the following regulations pertaining to the leafcutter bees are hereby promulgated and adopted.
(a) 'Area' means the Leafcutter Bee owners farm either owned or rented, be it an established farm they have had bees on in the past or a new farm any place in the state of Wyoming that they or anyone else has never had bees on.
(a) Unconditional Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee Certification - Bees that have been officially examined and analyzed and found to contain no more than 10% composite infestation by the parasites listed in Section 3 ( c ) (i)(A) below; and which contain no more than 0% infestation by the pathogens listed in Section 3 ( c ) (i)(B), below.
(b) Restricted Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee Certification - Bees that are officially reported as containing composite parasite infestation levels of 10% through 25%, or composite pathogen infestation levels of greater than 0% to not more than 10%, shall be designated as being restricted certification.
(c) Quarantined Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee Certification - Bees that are officially reported as containing composite parasite infestation levels of more than 25%, or composite pathogen infestation levels of more than 10% shall be designated as being under Quarantined Certification. Leafcutter Bees shall be Quarantined along with associated nesting material and other equipment to the landowners or bee owners property. Said bees and equipment may continue to be used only at the same locations they were used when they were put under Quarantined Certification. Treatment, sterilization, or other methods of recognized control shall be performed by the bee owner before said bees and equipment can be used for pollinating again. Quarantined Certification for two successive years shall result in an order for destruction of larvae or removal from the State.
(i) Parasites and Pathogens that the bees are to be specifically examined for are:
(A) Parasites
(I) Minute Chalcid (Tetrastichus megachi)
(a) Bees imported into Wyoming which meet the standards for Unconditional Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee Certification set forth in Section 3 (a) may be moved within the State of Wyoming into any area.
(b) Bees meeting the standards for Restricted Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee Certification set forth in Section 3(b) may be moved within the State of Wyoming into any area in which bees designated as being under Restricted Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee Certification are also located.
(c) Bees meeting the standards for Quarantined Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee Certification shall not be moved from the landowner's or bee owner's property within the state as described in Section 3 c. No special permit to move bees or equipment under quarantined Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee Certification will be issued under Wyo. STAT. § 11-7-405(b).
Section 5. Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee Sampling Procedure. The following procedures shall be used to sample bees under the bee certification program.
(a) All bees must be in loose cell state before samples can be taken.
(b) A two ounce sample shall be taken from each 20 pounds of bees owned or possessed by a beekeeper. An official sample size shall not consist of less than eight ounces (8 oz.). If the beekeeper owns or possesses more than 200 pounds, then the larvae will be divided into 200 pound lots and official samples shall be obtained from each lot. All official samples shall become the property of the department.
(c) Once the official samples has been obtained, the remaining composite sample shall be officially sealed and left in the possession of the owner/manager. The owner/manager has 10 days from date of receipt of certification to contact the department and discuss the original laboratory test results.
(d) All samples shall be collected using a random sampling procedure, i.e. a uniform sample from the top, middle, and bottom within the bee storage containers.
(e) All official samples will be obtained by department personnel in the presence of the owner/manager of the bees.
(f) All official sample containers will be sealed with a label showing lot number, date/time sampled and signature of department employee.
(g) All official sample lot numbers must correspond with lot numbers attached to beekeeper storage containers.
(h) Sanitization - Wyoming Department of Agriculture personnel shall sanitize or dispose of equipment used in connection with sampling.
(i) The beekeepers shall provide at each location where leafcutter bees are to be sampled, a suitable footbath for the disinfection of rubber foot wear worn by the sampler.
Section 6. Fees. All requests for certification shall be made to the department. The required certification fee shall be paid upon sampling.
(a) Importation Certification- All imported bees must be sampled by the department at the buyer's or owner's location within 10 days after importation and only a $25.00 lab fee will be assessed per sampled.
(b) Annual Certification - Any person owning or possessing leafcutter bees within Wyoming shall make a request to the Wyoming Department of Agriculture for certification on or before January 1 of each year and shall arrange a date for sampling each of said possession and pay assessment fees thereto no later than February 1. A lab fee of $25.00 for each sample shall be assessed on bees sampled before February 1. Any samples received after February 1 will assessed a $50.00 lab fee per sample.
(c) A certification fee shall be assessed for all Leafcutter Bees examined by the State of Wyoming. The fee, shall not exceed $.26 per pound, and may be changed periodically by mutual agreement between the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and the Wyoming Leafcutter Bee Association to cover costs of administration and enforcement of the Wyoming Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee Act and other related program needs.
Section 7. Sale and Termination. All sales of bees shall be reported to the department as follows:
Section 8. Wild Trapping Permit Procedure. A person intending to engage in wild trapping shall apply to the department for a permit prior to commencing trapping activities. The person applying for a permit shall obtain the signature of the property owner on which the bees are to be wild trapped. Any person keeping bees or nesting materials on property other than their own, shall clearly mark the trapping material with his or her correct name, address, phone, location of wild trapping activities (1/4 section, section, township, range), number of bee boxes, and permission of property owners. Wild trapping will be allowed with new laminated nesting material only, and must be removed from the state by October 1 of the same year as trapping started, or submitted for certification as required under the regulations. A fee of $10.00 shall be submitted with each application for a wild trapping permit, with the check being made payable to the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. Only one permit per trapper per county is required for each season of operation.