Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI)

The insurance company for beekeepers in England & Wales run by beekeepers

Working for bees, education, protection & research

Est: 1936

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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 equipment destroyed by a Bee Inspector as a result of their colony or colonies being infected by a notifiable disease, currently European Foulbrood (EFB) and American Foulbrood (AFB). The condition of the equipment can affect the level of compensation.

In addition to disease coverage, BDI also has a limited contingency fund to compensate for equipment destroyed following infestation by a notifiable pest, currently Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida) and Tropilaelaps.

It is important to note that only equipment destroyed is covered by this insurance, but not the cost of replacement bees. Click here to view full details of the insurance cover provided by BDI

Talk - A large-scale study of Varroa destructor treatment adherence in apiculture

Dr Thomas O'Shea-Wheller, Research Fellow at the Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, gave a presentation about his recent BDI-funded study to BDI's AGM in June 2025.

His research highlighted the critical role of treatment adherence in managing Varroa infestations. Using data from the National Bee Unit’s BeeBase from 2016-2020, the study found that the timing of Varroa treatment significantly impacts colony survival overwinter.

BDI holds 2025 premiums & upgrades compensation

The 2025 rates for Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI) are once again unchanged and cover has been upgraded. It will pay insured beekeepers ‘new for old’ compensation to replace equipment destroyed by a bee inspector as a result of their colony or colonies being infected by a notifiable disease, currently European and American foulbrood. Previously the condition of the equipment determined the level of compensation.

Due to careful husbandry of its resources, BDI has not increased its premiums in the recent past and has absorbed several rises in Insurance Premium Tax which is included in the subscription and premiums charged.

Insurance premiums are 'banded' by the number of colonies. Up to 3 colonies are 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

These premiums apply to returns submitted from spring 2024. Using the eR2 membership system, no action is necessary as the additional premiums are calculated automatically when a member enters the number of colonies to insure.

eR2 membership system link to BeeBase

To streamline membership renewals and the registration of new members, most associations use eR2. Developed by Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI), eR2 was designed to manage membership administration. Importantly, there is no automatic transfer of data from local associations to BeeBase.

As eR2 membership processes evolved, some local associations requested a feature to enable consenting members to share their contact information with the National Bee Unit. For associations opting to provide this opportunity, members are prompted during renewal or when joining to indicate their consent by ticking a dedicated box. No data is shared without explicit permission from the individual beekeeper member.

Click here to read the full article which appeared in BBKA News, September 2023.

Yellow-legged Asian hornet update

In March 2025, BDI arranged a joint APHA, BBKA and WBKA update about yellow legged Asian hornet incursions last year (2024).

Nigel Semmence, Contingency Planning and Science Officer, National Bee Unit, talked about what had happened during the year to BKA yellow legged Asian hornet coordinators.

Whole apiary shook swarm - 2025

Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI) - in conjunction with the National Bee Unit - is continuing to fund a whole apiary shook swarm trial in 2025 where EFB has been identified.

The trial is offered for all colonies and equipment (eg frames, comb etc) stored in the infected apiary when at least one colony has been confirmed as having European foulbrood (EFB) by an Authorised Bee Inspector (ABI).

The National Bee Unit states: “Trials have shown that shaking bees onto new foundation and then destroying the old combs can be beneficial when controlling European foulbrood. This procedure is known as Shook Swarming and it may also be beneficial in controlling Nosema spp., chalk brood and Varroa mite populations. Colonies treated in this way often become the strongest and most productive in an apiary. Some beekeepers are now using this system to replace all the old brood combs in a beehive within a single procedure.”

For more information click here.

Photo courtesy of The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Crown Copyright