Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Honey Bees and Other Bees
Actions
APHIS does not regulate the interstate movement of bees in the continental United States. Interstate movement and importation of bees into Hawaii is prohibited. Canada prohibits the transit of honey bees from the lower 48 states to Alaska.
The following are considered to be Restricted Articles:
For information on importing them see " Restricted Articles and Organism" and 7 CFR 322.28. Bee-collected pollen for bee feed cannot be imported from any country. Royal jelly may be imported for bee feed for scientific purposes under permit.”
For the requirements for importing bees see General Shipping Requirements for the Importation of Honey Bees and then check for specific requirements for the originating country. If the combination of bee species and country is not listed, the importation is restricted to Universities and State/Federal Government Agencies with plant pest permits for research purposes.
Adult queen honey bees and package bees (worker bees, drones, with a queen) can be imported into the continental United States (i.e. not including Hawaii) from Canada and New Zealand:
The following five species can be imported from Canada under the Requirements for the Importation of Bees other than Honey Bees:
Bees other than honey bees and the five species listed above are restricted.
Honey Bee germplasm can be imported from Australia, Bermuda, Canada, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, and Sweden provided the following the conditions are met in the Requirements for the Importation of Honey Bee Germplasm. For honey Bee germ plasm from any other country see the section on Importation of Restricted Articles and Organisms.
Restricted organisms can only be imported for university and/or State/Federal Government research. Importation of restricted organisms requires a PPQ 526 Plant Pest Permit. Details for applying on-line can be found at the e-Permits Website. Restricted organisms require specific consideration when importing or transiting the United States. Importation of restricted articles and organisms requires that PPQ 599 shipping labels (red-and-white) that we provide to you upon issuance of the permit, be adhered to the exterior of each package and that the package must be addressed to the PPQ inspection station identified on the label. If a package is not addressed to the inspection station or if the label is not attached to the exterior of the package, it will be refused entry to the United States. If importing in your personal luggage aboard aircraft or vehicle (i.e., hand-carrying), then your permit must authorize this and the individuals hand-carrying must be identified. As stated in the permit conditions pertaining to hand-carrying, you must notify us at least 20 days prior to each incident so that we can issue special shipping labels for the specific incident and we can contact Customs and Border Protection, Agricultural Inspection, at the first port-of-entry. Failure to notify us prior to a hand-carry incident will result in the confiscation or refusal of entry of the restricted articles or organisms, even if you possess a permit that authorizes hand-carrying.
Telephone: (301) 851-2357
FAX: (301) 734-8700
Email: pest.permits@aphis.usda.gov
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