Ontario Apiary Program

About the Apiary Program

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness’ (OMAFA) Apiary Program, is responsible for the oversight and administration of the Ontario Bees Act.

Through its administration of the Act, the Apiary Program:

• conducts regulatory inspections
• monitors for pest and disease
• issues beekeeper registrations, permits for sales and imports of live bees

Beyond regulatory responsibilities, the program plays an important role in knowledge and technology transfer, such as publishing Best Management Practices and information for beekeepers and the apiculture industry on honey bee health and pests and diseases.

Program specialists also participate on collaborative working groups to address honey bee health concerns within Ontario, Canada and North America.

Managed honey bees are valuable pollinators, playing a crucial role in Ontario’s agricultural sector. The Apiary Program works closely with its regulated clients, beekeepers, to support the viability of Ontario's managed honey bee sector. The Apiary Program has upwards of 4,000 beekeeper clients.

Visit our Apiculture home page to find information about honey bee health and beekeeping in Ontario, including regulations, registration, permits and resources.

Contact the Apiary Program

Contact the Apiary Program if you have questions about registration, permits or bee health.

For general inquiries, email apiary@ontario.ca.

For registration-related inquiries, email beekeeperregistration@ontario.ca.

Fax: 226-314-0983

Mail:

Apiary Program
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal Health and Welfare Branch
1 Stone Road West, 5^th Floor NW  
Guelph, ON N1G 4Y2

Apiary inspectors

Apiary inspectors are appointed under the Bees Act. Their regulatory duties include:

• inspecting honey bee colonies and/or equipment
• responding to reports of suspected non-compliance
• conducting actions using a progressive compliance approach
• issuing Selling Permits to beekeepers

Here is a list of appointed Apiary Inspectors by area.

Provincial Apiarist

The Provincial Apiarist is appointed under the Bees Act. In addition to having all the powers of an inspector, the Provincial Apiarist is responsible for:

• issuing Queen and Nuc and Import Permits to beekeepers
• overseeing honey bee health and disease issues by working collaboratively with the industry, researchers and other specialists on strategies for bee health in Ontario

Reporting a suspected non-compliance with the Ontario Bees Act

Any member of the public can report suspected non-compliance of managed honey bees to the Apiary Program. The Apiary Program responds by conducting inspections of beekeepers to determine if there are any contraventions of the Bees Act or its regulation.

Learn about the rules and regulations for keeping honey bees in Ontario at Summary of Ontario beekeeping regulations, including location of honey bee colonies and abandoned honey bee colonies or yards.

How to report to the ministry

Report suspected non-compliance to the Apiary Program by either:

• contacting the Agricultural Information Contact Centre (AICC)
• emailing the Apiary Program at apiary@ontario.ca
• phoning 519-826-4537 (anonymous)
• completing the online report found at Ontario’s agriculture and food laws (anonymous)

Reports must include:

• the address of where the suspected non-compliance is taking place
• what non-compliance is taking place (for example, colony location, abandonment)
• date observed

It is helpful to also include the following if available:

• person(s) involved
• photos

What happens after a report is received

The Apiary Program responds to a report of a suspected non-compliance by using a risk-based progressive compliance approach. This involves reviewing the report to determine if a contravention of the Bees Act or its regulation may be present.

An apiary inspector may be assigned to follow-up on the report if the assessment determines this is warranted. The apiary inspector will work directly with the regulated client (the beekeeper) to seek compliance with the Bees Act.

The person reporting the suspected non-compliance is not provided updates to on-going compliance actions as they are not the regulated client, but may be contacted for follow-up information.

The Apiary Program will not respond to reports that fall outside the requirements of the Bees Act. We can only employ the provisions available to us as prescribed in the Act and its regulation.

Contact us

Contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre (AICC) by phone at 1-877-424-1300 or email ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca.

The AICC is the primary contact for:

• suspected northern giant hornet sightings in Ontario
• general farm, agribusiness and rural business inquiries