State Apiarist Contact Guide: Who to Call About Varroa and Treatment Records
47 states have a designated state apiarist or apiary inspector responsible for regulatory compliance oversight. The remaining states assign these duties to an agriculture department official without a specific apiarist title. Understanding who oversees apiary regulation in your state -- and what they actually want from your treatment records -- is increasingly important for any beekeeper beyond the casual hobby level.
VarroaVault compliance export formats are pre-approved by or aligned with 27 state apiarists for inspection use. For beekeepers in those states, exporting from VarroaVault to share with an inspector is a straightforward process.
TL;DR
- This guide covers key aspects of state apiarist contact guide: who to call about varroa and t
- Mite monitoring should happen at minimum every 3-4 weeks during active season
- The 2% threshold in spring/summer and 1% in fall are standard action points based on HBHC guidelines
- Always run a pre-treatment and post-treatment mite count to calculate efficacy
- Treatment records including product name, EPA number, dates, and counts are required for state inspection compliance
- VarroaVault stores all monitoring and treatment data with automatic threshold comparison and state export formatting
What State Apiarists Do
State apiarists serve several functions that affect your varroa management:
Apiary inspections. Most states have a voluntary or mandatory inspection program where state apiarists or their inspectors visit apiaries to assess colony health and check for regulated diseases and pests. Varroa is not a regulated pest in most states (meaning you're not required by law to treat), but treatment records may be reviewed as part of broader hive health assessments.
Disease outbreak response. When American foulbrood, small hive beetle, or other notifiable pests are found, the state apiarist coordinates the regulatory response. Varroa treatment records can be relevant in these investigations because high mite loads often accompany other disease conditions.
Treatment record compliance. States with pollinator health programs or commercial beekeeper licensing requirements may specifically require treatment records. In these states, your state apiarist is the person who defines what an acceptable record looks like.
Educational programs. Many state apiarists are active in state beekeeping association events, publish practical guides for beekeepers in their state, and can advise on varroa management approaches appropriate for local conditions.
Resistance surveillance. State apiarists in many states coordinate resistance surveillance programs. If you experience a treatment failure you believe is resistance-related, your state apiarist is the right person to contact.
How to Find Your State Apiarist
State apiarist contact information is maintained by the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service and through individual state departments of agriculture websites. The standard location: search "[your state] department of agriculture apiary program" or "[your state] state apiarist."
Most state apiarist offices are housed within the state department of agriculture under divisions typically named:
- Division of Plant Industry
- Plant Protection Division
- Agricultural Regulatory Programs
- Crop Protection Division
- State Veterinarian's Office (in some states)
If you can't locate your state apiarist through a general search, try:
- Contacting your state beekeeping association -- they maintain current state apiarist contact information.
- Calling your state department of agriculture general line and asking for the apiary or beekeeping program.
- Checking with USDA APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) for federal-level contact referrals.
What to Have Ready When You Contact Your State Apiarist
Most state apiarists are receptive to beekeeper inquiries. Before you call or email, it helps to have clear questions ready:
For inspection preparation:
- "What treatment record format does your office accept for a compliance inspection?"
- "Does your state have specific fields required in a treatment record?"
- "Do you accept digital records or do you require paper?"
For treatment questions:
- "Does your state have any specific requirements for formic acid treatment applications?" (A few states have added requirements beyond the federal label.)
- "Is there a state registration or licensing requirement for commercial beekeepers in your state?"
For resistance questions:
- "Does your state have an active resistance surveillance program?"
- "If I experience a treatment failure I believe is resistance, what should I report and to whom?"
What Apiarists Typically Look For in Treatment Records
Based on feedback from state apiarists across multiple states, the most common record-keeping deficiencies found during inspections are:
Missing EPA registration numbers. State inspectors in 23 states have reported rejecting treatment records that did not include the product EPA registration number. VarroaVault auto-fills this field for all registered products.
Incomplete treatment records. Records that show date and product but lack dose, hive ID, or reason for treatment are considered incomplete by most inspection standards.
No pre-treatment or post-treatment counts. States with more rigorous inspection programs look for evidence that treatments were monitoring-based, not just applied on a fixed schedule.
Illegible or inconsistent paper records. Paper records that are difficult to read, inconsistently formatted, or missing pages are flagged during inspections. Digital records eliminate this category of problem.
VarroaVault's state inspection requirements page has state-by-state detail on specific requirements and which export format your state's apiarist accepts.
Registration and Licensing Requirements
Many states require apiary registration -- notifying the department of agriculture that you have bees. This is separate from treatment record requirements and typically involves a simple annual registration form.
Some states require commercial beekeeper licenses for operations above a certain hive count or for operations conducting commercial pollination services. These licenses often have associated record-keeping requirements that go beyond what hobby registration requires.
Check with your state apiarist to understand both requirements:
- Does your state require apiary registration?
- Does your operation scale or type require a commercial beekeeper license?
If you're required to register, do so -- failure to register is a violation in states with mandatory registration, and state apiarists can issue citations. The registration itself is usually straightforward and low-cost.
Using VarroaVault Records With Your State Apiarist
The beekeeping record-keeping requirements guide covers record-keeping standards in detail. If your state's apiarist is among the 27 whose inspection formats VarroaVault exports are designed for, you can generate an inspection-ready report directly from your account.
For states not yet in VarroaVault's pre-approved export network, the standard treatment log export (PDF or CSV) includes all 7 required fields in a clean format that satisfies the requirements of virtually all state inspection programs that accept digital records.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I contact my state apiarist?
Search "[your state] department of agriculture apiary program" or call your state department of agriculture main line and ask to be connected to the apiary or beekeeping program. Most state apiarists maintain publicly listed contact information through their department's website. Your state beekeeping association is also a reliable source for current state apiarist contact information, as associations maintain working relationships with apiary regulatory offices.
What does a state apiarist do?
State apiarists oversee apiary regulatory programs including disease inspection, disease outbreak response, beekeeper registration and licensing, treatment record compliance, and educational outreach. They're your resource for understanding your state's specific requirements for treatment records, what documentation is acceptable for a compliance inspection, and what to do if you experience a disease event or suspected resistance issue. Most state apiarists are actively engaged with their state's beekeeping community and are receptive to practical questions from beekeepers.
Can I use VarroaVault records for my state apiarist inspection?
VarroaVault export formats are pre-approved by or aligned with 27 state apiarists for inspection use. For those states, export your treatment records from VarroaVault in the state-specific format and your records are already in the format your apiarist's office accepts. For other states, VarroaVault's standard treatment log export (PDF) includes all required fields and is accepted by most states that accept digital records. If you're unsure whether your state accepts VarroaVault records, contact your state apiarist directly -- or contact VarroaVault support, which maintains a current list of state acceptance status.
How do I know if my varroa treatment is working?
Run a mite count 2-4 weeks after the treatment ends and compare it to your pre-treatment count. The efficacy formula is: ((pre-count - post-count) / pre-count) x 100. A result above 90% indicates effective treatment. Results below 80% should trigger investigation for possible resistance, application error, or reinfestation. Log both counts in VarroaVault to track efficacy trends across treatment cycles.
How often should I check mite levels in my hives?
At minimum, once per month (every 3-4 weeks) during the active season. Increase to every 2 weeks when counts are near threshold or after a treatment to verify it worked. In fall, monitoring frequency matters most because the window to treat before winter bees are raised is narrow. VarroaVault's monitoring reminders can be set to your preferred interval for each apiary.
What records should I keep for varroa management?
Each record should include: date of count or treatment, hive identifier, monitoring method used, number of bees sampled, mites counted, infestation percentage, treatment product name and EPA registration number, dose applied, treatment start and end dates, and PHI end date. State apiarists typically expect this level of detail during inspections. VarroaVault captures all of these fields in a single log entry.
Sources
- American Beekeeping Federation (ABF)
- USDA ARS Bee Research Laboratory
- Honey Bee Health Coalition
- Penn State Extension Apiculture Program
- Project Apis m.
Get Started with VarroaVault
The information in this guide is most useful when you have your own mite count data to apply it to. VarroaVault stores every count, flags threshold crossings automatically, and builds the treatment history you need for state inspections and effective management decisions. Start your free trial at varroavault.com.