Information for Legislative Members Concerning the Iowa Beekeeping Industry

• Attention: Iowa Legislative Members
• People who grow fruits and vegetables
• People who eat fruits and vegtables
• People wh are afraid of "killer" bees

Iowa beekeepers produce more than the $40,000 allotted budget (within the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship) for the Apiary Division by paying income taxes to the State of Iowa. $3.5 million is generated from the sale of honey and hive products for Iowa beekeepers. Of that $3.5 million, approximately $245,000 is paid to the state as income taxes. Money received from pollination services numbers $92 million, thus generating $6,444,000 in income taxes paid by those benefiting from the pollination of the honey bees. Why was the Apiary division eliminated when it obviously produces more income in taxes than the program costs to maintain?

We believe the elimination of the State apiarist and the Apiary program was an inappropriate administrative decision and that it does not reflect the intention of our legislative members or the Agriculture Committee. It is our hope that you will be able to reverse these actions and quickly restore the Apiary Division and thereby enhance the broad scope of Iowa’s agricultural diversity. To accomplish this, please consider awarding the money needed to fund the complete IDALS budget.

• Without the Apiary program to regulate pesticide spraying of honey bees, and to inspect honey bees coming into the state of Iowa; the people of Iowa are faced with a potential disaster. Pollination services provided by honey bees is $92 million annually. The food chain could be drastically altered because every third bite of food that you eat is directly related to a honey bee! Most of the wild bees have been eliminated due to pesticide use, bee diseases and harsh winters. We must have domestic colonies of bees to provide the pollination necessary to supply the demand for food in this state.
• Hobby gardeners, farmer’s market vendors and orchard owners will suffer greatly. Iowa is supposed to support diversified agriculture. We boast of “Fields of Opportunities” to visitors as they cross our borders. Where are the fields going to be? Honey bees raise the yield on soybeans each year.
• Several beekeepers transport honey bees out of the state for the winter and return each spring. Who is going to certify that these bees haven’t been “Africanized” (killer bees) or make sure they aren’t bringing diseased bees back to Iowa if we don’t have an inspection program regulated by the IDALS department and the Apiary program?

LIKELY RESULTS OF NO APIARY DEPARTMENT:

• Bee Diseases and parasites and disruption of interstate shipment of bees would reduce the size and health of Iowa’s bee population. Consequently, reduced bee pollination would cause:

  1. A decline in horticultural crop yields
  2. Reduced soybean yield per acre
  3. Decreased wildlife and wildflower population
  4. A reduction in bee pollinated plants that hold soil, resulting in increased soil erosion
  5. Smaller yields from home gardens and orchards
  6. Decreased yields of hay crops for our livestock
• FURTHERMORE, CONTINUED LACK OF AN APIARY PROGRAM WOULD:
  1. Open state borders to the influx of the highly-defensive Africanized “killer” bee
  2. Reduce honey and beeswax production
  3. Open up the state to unscrupulous beekeepers carrying bee diseases and parasites
  4. Loss of Inspection program and regulatory rules