Penalties — injunctions

1. A person who knowingly sells, barters, gives away, moves, or allows to be moved, a diseased or parasite-infested colony, package, equipment, or combs without the consent of the state apiarist, or exposes infected honey or infected equipment to the bees, or who willfully fails or neglects to give proper treatment to a diseased or parasite-infested colony, or who interferes with the state apiarist or the apiarist’s assistants in the performance of official duties or who refuses to permit the examination of bees or their destruction as provided in this chapter or violates another provision of this chapter, except as provided in subsection 2, is guilty of a simple misdemeanor. 2. A person who knowingly moves or causes to be moved into this state a colony, package, used equipment, or combs in violation of section 160.5, is guilty of a serious misdemeanor. 3. Each day a colony, package, used equipment, or combs moved into this state in violation of section 160.5 remain in this state constitutes a separate offense. A colony, package, used equipment, or combs brought into this state in violation of section 160.5 may be declared a nuisance. The department shall provide written notice to the person owning the land where the colony, package, used equipment, or combs are located, and, if known, to the person owning the colony, package, used equipment, or combs. The notice shall state that the owner of the colony, package, used equipment, or combs must remove the colony, package, used equipment, or combs from this state within five days of the notification. After the five days have lapsed the department may seize the colony, package, used equipment, or combs. The department may secure a warrant if the owner of the land objects to the seizure. The department shall maintain the seized property until a court, upon petition by the department, determines the disposition of the property. The court shall render a decision concerning the disposition of the property by the court within ten days of the filing of the petition. Upon conviction of a violation of section 160.5, a person shall forfeit all interest in property moved in violation of that section and the department may immediately destroy the property. 4. The attorney general or persons designated by the attorney general may institute suits on behalf of the state apiarist to obtain injunctive relief to restrain and prevent violations of this chapter.