Bee Insurance: Everything You Need to Know
Beekeeping is a complex occupation that requires extensive knowledge and skill. As a result, beekeepers put in a lot of time and effort to care for their bees, hives, and equipment. Bee insurance is an integral safeguard for beekeeping operations, protecting beekeepers and their hives from damage, product liability, and injury liability.
Why should beekeepers have bee insurance?
When you’re dealing with hundreds or thousands of live bees, beekeeping is an extensive practice that requires deep research and skills. It incurs many risks no matter how many safeguards are put in place. From unexpected injuries to possible defects or flaws in honey products, beekeeper insurance can help you mitigate these risks, and these policies are specifically designed for beekeeping enterprises.
Does regular homeowner’s insurance cover beekeepers?
Regular homeowner’s insurance companies are typically uncomfortable in covering beekeeping. They might cover unexpected injuries once, but they might not cover future incidents because of perceived high risk. In addition, these companies’ coverages aren’t holistic and might not cover product liability or the entirety of your beekeeping activities.
Should backyard beekeepers have bee insurance?
Even for those who keep hives in their backyards, it is necessary to be prepared for unexpected incidents. For example, there is potential liability for injuries, such as someone alleging that they were stung by one of your bees in your bee yard and suffering from an allergic reaction. There are also associated liabilities with selling honey products to customers. The unpredictability of keeping bees and selling bee and bee-related products requires extra protection.
What does beekeeper insurance typically cover?
Beekeeper insurance offers more complete coverage for beekeeping activities than homeowner’s insurance. Beekeeper insurance typically covers liabilities related to injuries and damage to hives and bees. It also usually covers the certificate of liability needed to sell products at markets and craft fairs and product liability for the products sold.
What companies offer beekeeper insurance?
Companies that offer beekeeper insurance include:
- BeeInsurance: BeeInsurance was created specifically for beekeepers and provides them with an insurance premium discount. It differentiates itself from other insurance companies that try to classify beekeeping under farm, crop, or agriculture insurance, which doesn’t fully protect beekeepers.
- Beekeeping Insurance Services: Beekeeping Insurance Services work with beekeepers to take advantage of the USDA’s Apiculture Insurance Program, which covers bees and honey if there is a decline in precipitation that affects activities.
- Texas Insurance & Financial Services, Inc.: Texas Insurance & Financial Services Inc. ties beekeeper insurance policies into one portfolio that addresses risks such as product liability insurance, general liability insurance, commercial property insurance, and more.
To ensure that your beekeeping activities are protected, it is important to pick the right type of beekeeper insurance for your needs. Research on beekeeper insurance companies is necessary to understand how your activities will be covered.
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