BDI premium and cover

Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI) provides insurance coverage specifically for beekeepers in England and Wales. The coverage offered by BDI compensates beekeepers who have had their colonies destroyed or treated by an NBU Bee Inspector as a result of being infected by a notifiable disease, currently European Foulbrood (EFB) and American Foulbrood (AFB).

In addition to disease coverage, BDI also has a contingency fund to compensate for colonies destroyed as a result of being infested by a notifiable pest, currently Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida) and Tropilaelaps, should they reach England or Wales.

It is important to note that only equipment destroyed is covered by this insurance, subject to the restrictions below, and the cost of replacement bees is not covered.

BDI operates two insurance schemes for beekeepers: Scheme A and Scheme B.

Scheme A is intended for beekeepers who:

• Are members of a beekeeping association which is a shareholder of BDI, and

• Own, or intend to own, up to 39 colonies, and

• Keep their bees in England or Wales.

Note: All colonies on a communal site must be covered by BDI for the insurance to be valid.

Scheme A insurance can only be purchased via a BDI member beekeeping association, and provides cover as defined below:

Insurance premiums are 'banded' by the number of colonies. 

2024 annual insurance premiums: 

Up to 3 colonies: included in the basic £2.00 subscription.

Additional cover is available by paying the Additional BDI premium:

Up to 5 colonies in total:     £1.20

Up to 10 colonies in total:   £4.70

Up to 15 colonies in total:   £7.75

Up to 20 colonies in total:   £9.50

Up to 25 colonies in total:  £11.10

Up to 30 colonies in total:  £13.60

Up to 35 colonies in total:  £16.10 

Up to 39 colonies in total:  £18.10

See more information on premium calculation on the Join BDI page

Following a claim, the number of colonies insured is reduced to reflect the number of colonies destroyed. As a consequence of this you may find that for the remaining part

of the season you are under insured, unless an additional premium is paid for any replacement colonies.

Cover can be increased during the year if needed by paying an additional 'top up' premium to move into the appropriate band of insurance, however this is subject to the '40 day rule' – see below.

The maximum compensation payable to an individual insured is £3,000 in any one year of insurance.

Click here to download the Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) for Scheme A

Scheme B is intended for beekeepers who:

-          Own, or intend to own, 40 or more colonies, and

-          Keep their bees in England or Wales.

Scheme B insurance can only be purchased directly from BDI – to request an application form please email the BDI Treasurer: treasurer@beediseasesinsurance.co.uk

Insurance premiums are charged per colony insured (with a minimum of 40 colonies) – the 2024 insurance premiums are as follows:

£1.80 per colony

Cover can be increased during the year if needed by purchasing cover for additional colonies at the rate above, however this is subject to the '40 day rule' – see below*.

No Claims Discount: 

• After one full season’s membership without disease or a claim - 15%  no claims discount

• After two successive seasons disease and claim-free - 30% no claims discount 

• After three successive seasons without disease or a claim - 55% no discount 

Following a claim, the No Claim Discount is cancelled, and the premium is payable in full for the next renewal. Also, following a claim the number of colonies insured is reduced to reflect the number of colonies destroyed. As a consequence of this you may find that for the remaining part of the season you are under insured, unless an additional premium is paid for any replacement colonies.

The maximum compensation payable to an individual insured is:

• £3,500 if up to 50 colonies are insured; 

• £5,000 if 51 or more colonies are insured.

Click here to download the Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) for Scheme B

 Scheme A and Scheme B also provide additional compensation for the statutory destruction of colonies, hives and equipment on account of either Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida) or Tropilaelaps infestations, should these become notifiable pests in England and Wales.

A maximum amount of £50,000 per annum will be available to cover pests claims (for Small Hive Beetle [Aethina tumida] or Tropilaelaps infestations). Each eligible claim will be covered to a maximum of £150 per hive. This amount will be adjusted to take into account the condition of equipment (As New, Good or Poor, as certified by the Bee Inspector) providing the beekeeper is not otherwise insured or entitled to obtain compensation elsewhere. The amount will be calculated pro rata between all such claims received by BDI in any year so, if they collectively exceed £50,000, each claim will be proportionately reduced. Settlement will be made after all claims for that year are processed. Should these pests become endemic and statutory control abandoned, then BDI compensation cover will cease.

*Premiums are due on 1 January every year and are paid in respect of the calendar year, 1 January to 31 December, irrespective of the date on which they are actually paid. However, where the payment is made after 31 March cover will not commence until 40 days have elapsed from the payment being made. This is known as the 40-day rule.

Table of compensation rates for 2024

Please note, ONLY equipment listed below will be compensated for. Most, if not all, other equipment will not need to be destroyed.

British Standard brood frame         £ 2.90

All other brood frames                        £ 4.00

British Standard shallow frame    £ 2.10

All other shallow frames                    £ 2.90

Top Bar Hive  frames                            £ 1.20

Warré Top Bar frames                         £ 0.80

Slotted steel queen excluder           £ 5.60

Wire queen excluder                    £20.00 

Plastic queen excluder                        £ 4.10

Glass/polycarbonate quilt              £19.80

Open mesh floor                                  £15.00

Saleable honey                                        £ 3.00 per lb (subject to a maximum of 40lb per hive averaged out over all of the colonies being claimed for in a single apiary)

• Subject to reduction based on condition as assessed by the Bee Inspector:

  • • New - equipment that does not appear to have been used in an active colony yet - no signs of propolis, no drawn out foundation etc.

                                           New equipment is compensated at the rates above 

• Good - equipment that appears to be less than three years old and is in good usable condition (no wax moth damage etc).

Good equipment is compensated at the rates above with a reduction of 40% 

• Poor - anything that does not fit into the above categories.
  Poor equipment is compensated at the rates above with a reduction of 80%

• No compensation will be paid for other equipment eg hive bodies are not covered.

• Both plastic (including 'Flow Hive' frames) and wooden frames are covered.  Where no specific rate is quoted above for non-standard hive components the rate will be by agreement with the BDI Claims Manager.

• Subject to reduction for previous claims history:

o   If claims have been made in both the previous two years compensation will be reduced by 25%. 

o   If claims have been made in all the previous three years compensation will be reduced by 50%. 

o   If claims have been made in all the previous four years compensation will be reduced by 75%.

Click here for information on how to make a claim