Does anyone here keep bees ?
I know the BG government are trying to promote the keeping of bees and wondered if
anyone had taken up the challenge and with what results.

Might put 1 or 2 hives down the far end of the garden at some point :Wav:

We are planning to when we eventually get out there. With so much happening here we have not done much research as yet, but it is one of the things I have always wanted to do.

Mrs Eq

you need to talk with your regional apiculture union, they will advise you on the laws on beekeeping. its mainly about where you can site your hives, ie, how near to your neighbours boundary, distance from a school, swarm flight paths ect. they are concerned that beekeeping is in decline and will be more than willing to assist you.

My husband did a beekeeping course at the Royal Agricultural Centre near where we lived in Warwickshire and
enjoyed it thoroughly.
Think there's a bit more to it than putting a couple of hives at the bottom of the garden!
We might get some bees next year, but a good bit of knowledge is needed.
There's certainly not been many bees around here this year.

our neighbour has 8 hives, every weekend he spends hours collecting the honey. he sells it locally.
dont forget the suit. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Thanks for the replies and advice everyone. I have been reading up quite a bit over the past few months
and it does seem very interesting and with such a decline in the bee population a very worthwhile hobby.

Bee keeping is very popular here so you should be able to get equipment (or get it made) - no idea whether it is the same size as the UK, but they look much the same. Varroa is problem, but it varies around the country and you cannot move hives.

Here is a translation of the law, which should give you a background...
Chapter one.
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Art. 1. This law shall settle the relations, connected with:
1. the organisation, the management, the selection and the reproduction of apiculture;

2. the ownership, the registration and the accommodation of the be families;

3. the conditions for breeding, production and trade with queen-bees, families and swarms;

4. the production, the processing and the qualification of bee products and the trade with them;

5. the conditions for creating and preserving of the honey vegetation;

6. the preservation of the bees.


Art. 2. The law has as objective to create conditions for the development of apiculture as sub-sector of the animal breeding for creating and maintaining of the necessary number of bee families, for maintaining of the biological diversity and the ecological equilibrium in nature, obtaining of normal rate of products from the culture plants and production of high quality bee products.


Chapter two.
ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT OF APICULTURE

Art. 3. The Minister of Agriculture and Forests shall implement the state policy in the field of apiculture.


Art. 4. The research and education activity in the field of apiculture shall be implemented by scientific institutes, trial stations, laboratories and higher schools.


Art. 5. (1) At conducting of the state policy in the field of apiculture the Minister of Agriculture and Forests shall be assisted by a national branch apiculture union.
(2) The National branch apiculture union shall be a corporate body, registered under the conditions and by the order of the Law of the non profit corporate bodies.
(3) The National apiculture union shall be the one having structures in all the regions and at more than 50 percent of the municipalities in the country.
(4) The National branch apiculture union shall unite and represent the bee-hunters, the processors and the traders with bee products, the producers of apiculture implements and medicinal means, scientific researchers and other persons, connected with apiculture, and has as objective to support and protect the common and the individual interests of its members and to co-operate with tгe state bodies in conducting the policy in the field of apiculture.


Art. 6. The National branch apiculture union shall:
1. participate in the preparation and the fulfilment of the National programme for development and encouragement of apiculture;

2. prepare annual report about the status of apiculture and present it to the Minister of Agriculture and Forests;

3. participate in the development of drafts of normative acts, standards and standard methods for analysis, connected with apiculture and bee products;

4. propose to the Minister of Agriculture and Forests ways for distribution of resources for development of apiculture;

5. participate in the development of programmes with the Ministry of Environment and Waters inn connection with the maintenance of the ecological equilibrium in nature, connected with the bee pollination;

6. create and maintain data base about the producers and the traders of bees, bee honey and other bee products;
organise and co-ordinate the activity for bee pollination;

7. participate in discussing of development projects and technological plans for planting of appropriate melliferous plants on municipal, state and private terrain;

8. organise every year competition for model apiary at municipal, regional and national level;

9. participate in organising and conducting of courses for qualification and training in the field of apiculture together with the National extension service in agriculture, the National centre for agrarian science, the National veterinary medical service, the Executive agency for selection and reproduction in animal breeding and other interested parties;

10. co-operate for organising of biological production of bee products;

11. implement also other functions, assigned with a law.


Art. 7. (1) The Council of Ministers shall, on proposal by the Minister of Agriculture and Forests and the Minister of Environment and Waters, approve long-term programme for development and encouragement of apiculture.
(2) The Minister of Agriculture and Forests and the Minister of Environment and Waters shall approve year programmes for development of apiculture on the basis of the programme of para 1.
(3) The programme of para 1 shall contain the following elements:
1. investigation of the status and the tendencies in the development of sub-sector "
apiculture"
– structure, production, market studies, price formation and organisation of the market of honey and other bee products;

2. measures for support of apiculture:
a) technical – for improvement of the conditions for production of bee products;

b) for improvement and preservation of the melliferous vegetation;

c) for prophylactics and control over the diseases of the bees;

d) for protection of biological diversity and support of the National breeding association in apiculture;

e) for conducting of research programmes for improvement of the quality of the bee products;

f) for support of the accredited laboratories, implementing analysis of the bee honey and other bee products;

g) for support and improvement of the qualification of the apiarists;

h) ways and forms for financing of the activities for development of the sub-sector, included in the programme;

3. measures for observation, assessment and control over the fulfilment of the programme of para 1.
(4) The investigation of para 3, item 1 shall comprise the following elements:
1. total number of the beehives and the owners of bee families;

2. total number of the owners, having more than 150 beehives;

3. the quantity of the produced honey, sold directly to consumers, to traders, to processing enterprises;

4. the quantity of bee honey from import;

5. the quantity of bee honey for export and prices;

6. expenses for production and preparation of the bee honey for offering on the market;

7. expenses for the measures for control over the diseases of the bees;

8. expenses for qualifying of the bee honey – total number of the issued certificates for quality and origin of the bee honey;

9. expenses for expanding of the melliferous vegetation.
(5) The resources for the fulfilment of the programme of para 1 shall be ensured through State fund "
Agriculture"
and they shall be gathered from:
1. subsidies from the state budget;

2. other purposed receivables, including under the programmes for protection of environment and maintaining of ecological equilibrium;

3. resources, released from pre-accession programmes of the European Union;

4. receipts from local and foreign persons or from international organisations;

5. receipts from fines and proprietary sanctions under this law.
(6) The Minister of Agriculture and Forests and the Minister of Environment and Waters shall manage and control the fulfilment of the National programme for development and encouragement of apiculture.


Chapter three.
REGISTERING AND ACCOMMODATION OF THE BEE FAMILIES

Art. 8. (1) At the mayoralties shall kept register of the apiaries, including the bee families.
(2) The owners of bee families shall in 15 days term after acquiring them submit application for registration under para 1.
(3) In one month term after the registration of para 1 the mayoralties shall send information about the registered bee families to the regional directorates "
Agriculture and forests"
and the National veterinary medical service.
(4) Fee shall not be paid for implementing of the registration of para 1.
(5) The permanent apiaries shall be obligatory with fence. Within the term of para 2 the owner shall put on the fence board with his name (name of the company), address (headquarters), UCN (BULSTAT), number of the bee families and registration number of the apiary.
(6) The owner shall declare for entering in the register of para 1 changes of the data, subject to registration, in 15 days term after their occurrence.


Art. 9. (1) Owners of apiaries can be individuals and corporate bodies.
(2) The registration of art. 8, para 1 shall comprise:
1. data about the owner of the bee families – name (name of the company), address (headquarters), UCN (BULSTAT);

2. registration number of the apiary;

3. address of the apiary;

4. number of the bred bee families;

5. number of newly bought families and branches by August 30 of the respective year;

6. number of sold bee families by August 30 of the respective year;

7. number of newly created bee families by August 30 of the respective year;

8. number of bee families, prepared and spent the winter.
(3) At the mayoralties shall be kept also register of the bee families from moving apiculture, in which shall be entered:
1. the three names of the owner and UCN, respectively for the corporate body – name of the company and BULSTAT;

2. the permanent address at the place of living of the owner, respectively the address of management of the corporate body;

3. permanent location of the apiary;

4. the registration number of the apiary;

5. the number of the bee families;

6. the place, from where they are moved (mayoralty), with number and date of the veterinary medical certificate;

7. the place of accommodation;

8. the place (the mayoralty), for where they are going, with number and date of the veterinary medical certificate.


Art. 10. (1) The owner of the bee family shall also be owner of the bee swarm flown out of it.
(2) When the bee swarm has settled in other’s property, owner of the bee swarm shall be the owner of the property. In all other cases owner of the bee swarm shall be the person who has found it.


Art. 11. (1) The bee families can be accommodated on farm lands, land and forests of the forest entirety, ownership of the state, the municipalities, individuals and corporate bodies, as well as on regulated landed properties.
(2) The state or the municipalities can establish right of use for developing of permanent apiaries with more than 10 bee families.
(3) The right of use shall be terminated:
1. in case the person, in favour of whom it has been established, stops the breeding of the bee families;

2. with the death of the person, respectively the terminating of the corporate body, in favour of whom it has been established;
in this case the right of use shall be established in favour of the heirs, respectively the legal successors, who continue the breeding of the bee families or the person, acquired ownership in them.
(4) When the municipality sells lands – private municipal ownership, which are used for apiaries for more than 20 years and on which at the moment are bred over 10 bee families, the owner of the apiary shall have right to buy at equal other conditions the farm land or forest and land of the forest entirety, used by him, in extent not less than 0.3 ha – for fields, 0.2 ha for meadows, and 0.1 ha – for orchards and forests.


Art. 12. For establishing of right of use on farm land and land and forest of the state forest entirety for developing of permanent apiaries with more than 10 bee families shall be applied the provisions of the Law of the forests, the Law of the state property and the Law of the municipal property.


Art. 13. (1) Right of use under art. 12 can be established in favour of the applicants when:
1.in the region there are no accommodated more than 50 bee families in radius 2.5 km;

2. in settlements and villa zones the apiaries are at distance not less than 5 m from the boundary of the neighbour, if their entrances are oriented towards him and not less than 3 m if the entrances are not facing the boundaries of the neighbouring property;
if there are solid fence over 2 m high or when they are located on a slope and the neighbouring property is at least 2 m below the level of the apiary, the apiaries can also be accommodated by the very fence;

3. there is no established infectious disease of the bees and the bee ova, larvae and pupae, in the region by the bodies of the National veterinary medical service.
(2) Para 1, item 1 shall not be applied for regions with vegetation with abundant nectar – acacia, lime forests and massifs with cultivated melliferous species.


Art. 14. For movable apiculture permission for accommodation or moving of temporary apiary shall be issued by the mayor on the day of submitting of the application if the requirements of art. 13, para 1 are met, and for the lands of the state forest entirety – by the order of art. 86, para 9 of the Law of the forests.


Art. 15. Permanent and temporary apiaries shall not be developed:
1. at a distance less than 100 m to administrative buildings, schools, kindergartens and hospitals;

2. at a distance less than 10 km in regions with registered pedigree bees for production of elite queen-bees and reserve apiaries;

3.at a distance less than 5 km in regions with registered reproductive apiaries for production of pedigree queen-bees;

4. on the territory of sites, connected with the defence and the security of the country;

5. at a distance less than 500 m to chemical plants, polluting the air with harmful substances, thermal electric power plants, ecarisages, enterprises for blood albumin, animal glue, leather factories, leather storehouses and fattening animal farms.


Art. 16. Temporary apiaries shall be accommodated at places being at distance more than 300 m from neighbouring apiaries and 100 m republican road network.


Art. 17. For pollination of agricultural plants the agricultural producer shall pay to the respective apiarist the service according to agreement.


Chapter four.
BREEDING, PRODUCTION AND TRADE WITH QUEEN-BEES, FAMILIES AND SWARMS

Art. 18. (1) In the Republic of Bulgaria shall be bred only local breeds of bees and/or intraline and interline hybrids.
(2) The selection and the reproduction in apiculture shall be implemented by breeding association, received permission under art. 29, para 1 of the Law of animal breeding.
(3) The breeding associations of para 2 shall implement their activities under the control of the Executive agency for selection and reproduction in animal breeding.


Art. 19. (1) The Minister of Agriculture and Forests shall determine with a ordinance the rules for production and trade with elite and pedigree queen-bees and branches (swarms) and the order for keeping of register.
(2) The production of elite and pedigree queen-bees and branches (swarms) shall be implemented at pedigree and reproduction apiaries, registered at the regional directorates "
Agriculture and forests"
under the conditions and by the order of para 3 – 6.
(3) For the registration of para 2 the persons shall submit at the respective regional directorate "
Agriculture and forests"
:
1. application, containing data about the location of the apiary;

2. positive statement of the breeding association for pedigree appurtenance of the reproduction material;
for availability of apparatuses for instrumental insemination of elite queen-bees or for 10 km isolation at natural mating in the pedigree apiaries and 5 km – for reproduction apiaries;
for the existence of equipped laboratory;

3. document, certifying the professional qualification of the candidate or the persons, hired by him for the respective kind of activities.
(4) In 10 days term after the submitting of the documents of para 3 the officials of the regional directorates "
Agriculture and forests"
shall receive statement from the regional veterinary – medical service about the epizootic situation in the region of the apiary and for the health status of the bee families. Within the same term officials can also implement check on the place.
(5) In the term of para 4 the director or an official from the respective directorate "
Agriculture and forests"
, authorised by him person, can require from the applicant written supplement or clarification of the documents of para 3.
(6) In 7 days term after receiving of the statement of para 4 and 5 the director of the regional directorate "
Agriculture and forests"
or an official authorised by him, shall register or refuse the registration of the apiary. The refusal can be appealed by the order of the Law of the administrative procedures.
(7) The registration shall be valid for a term of one year. After the elapse of the term of validity new registration shall be implemented on the basis of positive statement of para 3, item 2 and para 4.
(Cool The owners or the managers of the registered apiaries shall be obliged to declare at the regional directorate "
Agriculture and forests"
each change in the circumstances of para 3 and 4 in one month term after its occurrence.
(9) The registration can be deleted with an order by the director of the regional directorate "
Agriculture and forests"
:
1. on application by the producer;

2. at termination or liquidation of the corporate body;

3. at death of the individual;

4. at termination of the production for a period of 12 months;

5. at establishing with an act of a control body, entered into force, that there is change in the circumstances, on the basis of which the registration is implemented, and the change has not been declared within the term of para 8..
(10.) The order of para 9 can be appealed by the order of the Law of the administrative procedures.


Art. 20. (1) Prohibited shall be:
1. the import, the distribution and the breeding of queen-bees, families and swarms out of these, determine in art. 18, para 1;

2. the trade and the transport of queen-bees, families and swarms without certificate for origin, issued by the Executive agency for selection and reproduction in animal breeding, and veterinary medical certificate for health status.
(2) The Minister of Agriculture and Forests can as exception permit import of queen-bees out of these, determine in art. 18, para 1, for scientific research purposes under the following conditions:
1. the importer is scientific institute or trial station;

2. the import is for not more than 200 queen-bees;

3. at positive statement from the Executive agency for selection and reproduction in animal breeding and the National breeding association in apiculture.


Chapter five.
PRODUCTION, TRADE AND CONTROL OF BEE PRODUCTS

Art. 21. The production of bee products shall comprise obtaining, processing, packing and preservation of bee honey, bee pollens, royal jelly, bee wax, propolis (bee gum) and bee poison.


Art. 22. (1) Prohibited shall be the input of admixtures, tampering, imitation and falsification of bee honey and bee products and the sale of bee honey, which do not meet the requirements of the Ordinance for the requirements to bee honey, designated for consumption by people (SG 85/02).
(2) Prohibited shall be the use of sugar and other sweeteners for feeding up of the bee families during the collection of honey and during the period, when the feeding up would lead to existence of remains in the bee honey, designated for sale.
(3) The enterprises for processing of wax and production of wax bases as well as the enterprises for production and trade with bee honey shall be approved and registered under conditions and by order, determined with an ordinance by the Minister of Agriculture and Forests.


Art. 23. The obtaining, transportation, processing and preservation of bee honey and bee products shall be implemented with packing according to the requirements of Ordinance No 1 of 2002 for the materials and the subjects from plastic, designated for contact with foods (SG 13/02) and Ordinance No 24 of 2001 for the hygiene requirements to the materials and the subjects, different from plastic, designated for contact with foods (prom. SG 56/01;
amend. SG 13/02).


Art. 24. Prohibited shall be the use of antibiotics and sulphonamides at the breeding and treatment of the diseases of bees and bee embryos.


Art. 25. At establishing of infectious diseases of the bees and the bee ova, larvae and pupae shall be applied Ordinance No 30 of 2002 for prophylactics and fight with some infectious diseases of bees (SG 78/02).


Art. 26. The National branch apiculture union shall support the implementing of control over the quality of the bee products, offered on the internal market and inform the Minister of Agriculture and Forests about the established breaches.


Art. 27. The name "
Bee honey"
shall designate only products, meeting the requirements of the Ordinance for the requirements to the bee honey, designated for consumption by people.


Art. 28. A product, different from be honey, cannot be added to bee honey, designated for sale.


Art. 29. (1) The sale and purchase, the qualifying and the preservation of bee products shall be implemented by lots of separate products.
(2) Each lot shall be accompanied by a certificate for quality, issued by accredited laboratory.
(3) The taking of samples and the qualifying of the bee products shall be implemented under conditions and by order, determined with Ordinance No 2 of 1997 for taking samples from food products (SG 10/97).


Art. 30. The bee honey and the bee products shall be offered for sale in packing, meeting the requirements of art. 7 of the Law of the foods.


Art. 31. The import of bee honey and bee products shall be implemented upon existing of certificate for origin and quality and veterinary-medical certificate, issued by the competent veterinary-medical bodies of the country exporter.


Chapter six.
PRESERVING OF APIARIES AND BEE FAMILIES

Art. 32. (1) Individuals and corporate bodies, conducting disinfection and disinsection activities by using products for plant protection and preparations for disinfection and disinsection, shall obligatory provide measures for protection of bees from poisoning.
(2) The measures for the preservation of bees and bee families from poisoning and the ways for conducting of plant protection, disinfection and disinsection activities shall be provided with ordinance of the Minister of Agriculture and Forests.


Art. 33. (1) Prohibited shall be the use of products for plant protection and preparations for disinfection and disinsection on agricultural and forest plantations, perennial and road plantations and melliferous vegetation, being in phase of blossom and during the period of secreting of manna.
(2) At mass manifestation of pests and aviation treatment of agricultural and/or forest crops with products and/or preparations for plant protection of para 1 in regions, where there are apiaries, the owner of the agricultural and/or the forest crop shall implement the treatment after written permission of the regional service for plant protection.


Art. 34. At mechanised mowing of blossoming melliferous vegetation in the daytime the machinery must be supplied with special devices for driving away of the bees.


Art. 35. It shall be permitted the use of hives of type "
travna"
for breeding of bee families. It shall not be permitted their movement and use at mobile apiculture.


Art. 36. (1) For implementing of prophylactics of the diseases and protection of the bee families from poisoning with an order of the chief of the regional directorate "
Agriculture and forests"
shall be established permanent commissions in municipalities with members: representative of the directorate, of the respective municipality and apiarist – checker from the National branch apiculture union. When necessary in the commission shall also be included representatives of the National veterinary medical service or the National service for plant protection as well as the Executive agency for selection and reproduction in animal breeding.
(2) The Minister of Agriculture and Forests shall issue regulation for the organisation and the activity of the permanent commissions of para 1.
(3) The members of the permanent commissions of para 1 shall have right on proposal by the National branch apiculture union to inspect the status of each apiary. Within working time the members of the permanent commissions, having document according to approved model, determine in the regulation of para 2, shall have right to enter each personal and public apiary and to implement the inspection of the bee families and the apiarist equipment.
(4) The permanent commissions of para 1 shall implement autumn prophylactic inspection, and if necessary – also spring prophylactic inspection of the bee families.
(5) The owners, which bee families are destroyed due to diseases, included in the list of art. 30, para 1 of the Law of the veterinary – medical activity, shall be indemnified observing the requirements of art. 40, para 2 of the Law of the veterinary – medical activity.


Chapter seven.
ADMINISTRATIVE PUNITIVE PROVISIONS

Art. 37. (1) Who does not register bee families or does not put registration number on the apiary in violation of art. 8, para 1 or para 5, shall be punished with fine from 50 to 100 levs.
(2) When the violation of para 1 is implemented by a corporate body or sole entrepreneur, proprietary sanction shall be imposed from 200 to 300 levs.


Art. 38. (1) Who violates the provisions of art. 15, items 1 and 4, shall be punished with fine from 100 to 200 levs, and for violations of art. 15, items 2, 3 and 5 – from 500 to 700 levs.
(2) When the violation of para 1 is implemented by a corporate body or sole entrepreneur, proprietary sanction shall be imposed from 1500 to 2000 levs.


Art. 39. For violations of art. 18, para 1 and 2 te apiary shall be taken in favour of the state.


Art. 40. (1) A person, who produces and/or trades with elite and pedigree queen-bees and branches (swarms) in violation of the rules of art. 19, para 1, shall be punished with fine from 1500 to 2000 levs, if he is no subject to a graver penalty.
(2) A person, who produces elite and pedigree queen-bees and branches (swarms) without being registered under art. 19, para 2, shall be punished with fine of 500 levs.
(3) When the violations of para 1 and 2 are implemented by a corporate body or sole entrepreneur, proprietary sanction shall be imposed from 2500 to 3000 levs.


Art. 41. (1) Who violates the provisions of art. 20, para 1, shall be punished with fine from 800 to 1000 levs. The imported queen-bees, swarms and bee families shall be divested in favour of the state.
(2) When the violation of para 1 is implemented by a corporate body or sole entrepreneur, proprietary sanction shall be imposed from 1300 to 1500 levs.


Art. 42. (1) Who violates the provisions of art. 22, para 1 and art. 24, shall be punished with fine of 500 levs, the tampered, imitated or low quality products being divested in favour of the state.
(2) When the violation of para 1 is implemented by a corporate body or sole entrepreneur, proprietary sanction shall be imposed in extent of 1000 levs, the tampered, imitated or low quality products being divested in favour of the state.


Art. 43. (1) Who violates the rules, determined by the order of art. 22, para 3, shall be punished with fine in extent of 5000 levs.
(2) When the violation of para 1 is implemented by a corporate body or sole entrepreneur, proprietary sanction shall be imposed in extent of 7000 levs.


Art. 44. (1) Who does not observe the measures for protecting of the bees from poisoning and the ways for conducting of plant protection, disinfection and disinsection actiivties, determined by the order of art. 32, shall be punished with fine from 3000 to 5000 levs.
(2) When the violation of para 1 is implemented by a corporate body or sole entrepreneur, proprietary sanction shall be imposed from 8000 to 10 000 levs.


Art. 45. (1) Who violates the provision of art. 33, shall be punished with fine from 4000 to 5000 levs.
(2) When the violation of para 1 is implemented by a corporate body or sole entrepreneur, proprietary sanction shall be imposed from 8000 to 10 000 levs.


Art. 46. (1) Who violates the provision of art. 34, shall be punished with fine from 400 to 500 levs.
(2) When the violation of para 1 is implemented by a corporate body or sole entrepreneur, proprietary sanction shall be imposed from 800 to 1000 levs.


Art. 47. For repeated violation of art. 37, 38 and art. 40 – 46 the provided fines or proprietary sanctions shall be imposed in double extent.


Art. 48. (1) The violations of this law shall be established with acts, compiled by officials, authorised by the Minister of Agriculture and Forests.
(2) The punitive decrees shall be issued by the Minister of Agriculture and Forests or by officials, authorised by him.
(3) The establishing of the violations, the issuing, appealing and execution of the punitive decrees shall be implemented by the order of the Law of the administrative breaches and penalties.


Additional provisions


§ 1. In the context of this law:
1. "
Entomophilic plants"
are wild and cultivated plants, needing pollination by bees and other insects.
2. "
Bee honey"
is nutritious viscous, liquid or crystal product, produced by melliferous bees from the nectar of the blossoms or the secretions from or on the live parts of the plants, which the bees collect, transform, combine with concrete substances they secret, store and leave to ripen in wax combs.
3. "
Mobile apiculture"
is the movement and the temporary accommodation of bee families close to melliferous vegetation for its use as bee pasture and for pollination of the entomophilic crops and the wild plants.
4. "
Apiculture"
is activity, connected with using of the melliferous bees for pollination of entomophilic crops and production of bee products.
5. "
Bee swarm"
is part of the bee family, comprised by one queen-bee, bee workers and males (seasonally).
6. "
Bee family"
is the whole biologic and production unit (colony), comprised by queen-bee, certain quantity of bee workers and males (seasonally), accommodated in hives with the necessary quantity of wax combs. The bee family is considered one also when the basic family is assisted by an auxiliary one, accommodated in the same hive.
7. "
Apiary"
is place, on which are accommodated bee families together with the available equipment.
8. "
Bee products"
, obtained at breeding of bees, are bee honey, bee wax, bee pollen, propolis (bee clay), royal jelly and bee poison.
9. "
Bee offspring"
are the ova, larvae and pupae of the bees-workers, queens and males in different stage of their development till the adult insect.
10. "
Apiarist - inspector"
is an experienced apiarist, having document for successfully passed exam for increase of the qualification in an educational establishment, authorised by the Minister of Agriculture and Forests.
11. "
Imitated"
and "
tampered"
is each product, not corresponding with the notion "
bee honey"
, defined in item 2.
12. "
Repeated"
is the violation, implemented in one year term after the entering into force of the punitive decree, with which is imposed a penalty for violation of the same kind.
13. "
Travna"
is disarrayed, wattled, cone-like hive with straw cover.


Transitional and concluding provisions


§ 2. (1) In three months term after the law enters into force the Minister of Agriculture and Forests shall issue the ordinances of art. 19, para 1, art. 22, para 3 and art. 32, para 2 as well as the regulation of art. 36, para 2.
(2) Till the approval of the ordinance of art. 32, para 2 shall be observed the effect of Ordinance No 5 of 1985 for preservation of the bee families from poisoning at spraying and dusting of vegetation (SG 75/85).


§ 3. In three months term after the law enters into force the owners of apiaries shall be obliged to bring their activity in compliance with the requirements of art. 13, para 1, item 2.


§ 4. Hives of the type "
travna"
of art. 35 shall be used for breeding of bee families till December 31, 2006.


§ 5. The owners of bee families shall submit application for registration under art. 8, para 1 in three months term after the law enters into force.


§ 6. The Law of apiculture (prom. SG 102/83;
amend. SG 11/98, SG 113/99) shall be repealed.


§ 7. The implementation of the law shall be assigned to the Minister of Agriculture and Forests.
The law was passed by the 39th National Assembly on June 10, 2003 and is affixed with the official seal of the National Assembly.

Thanks for all this info, Noddy.

I hope others find it useful ::

Yes thanks Noddy it's most illuminating .