UT and TDA Apiculture Assistance
The UT Institute of Agriculture and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) work together to support the beekeeping industry in Tennessee. This chart summarizes some of the responsibilities under each agency.
This chart summarizes some of the responsibilities under each agency. Links for county Extension offices and TDA can be found below the chart.
| University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture | UTExtension | UTAgResearch | Tennessee Department of Agriculture |
|---|---|
| Education (e.g. Master Beekeeping Program) Outreach Research *Your county Extension office can help you with beekeeping questions and identification of insects, or get you in contact with a beekeeper if you have a swarm of bees on your property. | Apiary Inspections Hive registry (mandatory) Permits for moving beehives TN Ag Enhancement Program Pesticide use & bee kill investigations: Please call (615) 837-5148 (not Mike Studer) * call immediately in case of suspected pesticide bee kill – there is a short window for investigations due to chemical degradation. Facility Licenses & Inspections (if you pack or sell > 150 gallons of honey per year) |
Click here to find your county office. *Click on your county and then “About Us” to get the list of staff – please email your Agriculture and Natural Resources agent(s).
TDA Office of the State Apiarist (Mike Studer) (*For assistance with basic inspections, contact your local beekeeping club to see if they have a local inspector or mentor who can help you. Regional or state-level inspections are required for regulatory services such as permits.) Apiary registration is handled by TDA (not UT) – please send correspondence related to registration to TDA.
TN Ag Enhancement Program (TAEP) This cost-share program supports TN beekeepers who have at least five years of experience and 15 or more hives – beekeeping has challenges but this program is great motivation to try to stick with it and plan to grow your hobby into a production. Honey bees fall under Application B for Producer Diversification (<–click for application materials). Applications are accepted October 1-7. Questions? Please contact producer.diversification@tn.gov.
TDA pesticide information – Please call (615) 837-5148 for assistance with a suspected pesticide-related bee kill. Time is of the essence due to the short window of opportunity for an investigation so this is the first call to make.
TDA Food Safety – If you pack or sell more than 150 gallons of honey per year, you must be licensed and inspected by the State of TN as a food manufacturing facility. Contact TDA Consumer and Industry Services Division at (615) 837-5153 for more information.
