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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>66320</law_id><section_number>3.2-4400</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>29.1-352</reference><reference>29.1-355</reference><reference>54.1-3303</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="3.2">Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Production and Sale of Agricultural Products</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="44">Beekeeping</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Apiary</span>&#x201D; means any place where one or more colonies of <span class="dictionary">bees</span> are kept.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Appliance</span>&#x201D; means any apparatus, tool, machine, or other device used in the handling and manipulating of <span class="dictionary">bees</span>, honey, wax, <span class="dictionary">hives</span>, and <span class="dictionary">hive</span> parts and shall include containers used in transporting, processing, storing, or merchandising <span class="dictionary">bees</span> and bee products.
		&#x201C;Bee&#x201D; means the honeybee, Apis mellifera and genetic variations thereof, at any living stage; and may include other hymenopterous insects that depend on pollen and nectar for food.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Bee diseases</span>&#x201D; means departures from a sound state of health of <span class="dictionary">bees</span> characterized by visible symptoms including American foulbrood and any other diseases, insects, mites, or bee pests.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Bee equipment</span>&#x201D; means <span class="dictionary">hives</span> and <span class="dictionary">hive</span> parts including frames, supers, covers, bottom <span class="dictionary">boards</span>, and beekeeping apparel.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Brood comb</span>&#x201D; means the assemblage of cells containing any living stage of <span class="dictionary">bees</span> at any time prior to their emergence as adults.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Certificate of health</span>&#x201D; means a state-of-origin document prepared and signed by the State Apiarist or other authorized <span class="dictionary">person</span> declaring the <span class="dictionary">bees</span>, <span class="dictionary">bee equipment</span>, <span class="dictionary">appliances</span>, apiaries, and <span class="dictionary">honey houses</span> to be free of <span class="dictionary">bee diseases</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Colony</span>&#x201D; means a queenright assemblage of social <span class="dictionary">bees</span> capable of reproducing.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Combless package</span>&#x201D; means a shipping container for transporting <span class="dictionary">bees</span> or queens.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Entry permit</span>&#x201D; means a state-of-destination document prepared by the State Apiarist or other authorized <span class="dictionary">person</span> authorizing the entry of <span class="dictionary">bee equipment</span>, <span class="dictionary">appliances</span>, and <span class="dictionary">bees</span> on combs into the Commonwealth.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Hive</span>&#x201D; means a box, skep, barrel, log gum, or other container used as a domicile for <span class="dictionary">bees</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Honey house</span>&#x201D; means any building where honey for commercial use is extracted, graded, processed, packed, or stored.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Person</span>&#x201D; means the term as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Person" href="/1-230/">1-230</a>. The term also means any society.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 3-483; 1966, c. 702, &#xA7; 3.1-588; 1972, c. 499, &#xA7; 3.1-610.1; 1982, c. 100; 2008, c. 860.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
