# Insurance where to get it.



## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

I wanted liability insurance. The health food store where I wanted to wholesale some of my honey required it. Never mind the safety of honey, the world is full of crazies who think they can sue anyone and anybody. The store owner was trying to cover his butt, and I don't blame him.

I started with my homeowners insurance agent. Not surprising, he said, "Holy cow, no way! That's a commercial venture." He works for Farmer's Insurance.

But he's a great agent and and a personal friend. He went to work for me to find me a commercial broker who then found me business insurance through Barton County. I have "product and premises" insurance. I declined the flood, terrorism and earthquake coverage. Not sure about theft. The best theft deterant is to have good landlords who allow you to keep your hives on the back fence line and out of reach from vandals.

I checked with my local Farm Bureau who acted like I wanted to insure a nuclear waste dump. I even had copies of posts in this forum from guys who went to their Farm Bureau to get insured. Nope. Not happening with my farm bureau.

Ask around. Ask if the agents will do a little leg work and homework for you even though they can't or won't insure you. You can expect a lot of smiles and handshakes with little results unless they're going to get something out of it.

Search the archives in beesource. It's a topic that keeps popping up from time to time. A good company is not afraid to insure anything if the premiums and risks are appropriate, even nuclear waste dumps.

By the way, I pay around $500 per year to cover about 20 locations with around 120 hives. To get the insurance, I had to detail the locations, including driving directions, township locations and legal descriptions. You'll need a copy of the plat book from the library. Then the Barton County representative went with me to look at my locations. After seeing how I have most of my hives back from livestock and residential dwellings, he said he didn't need to see the rest.

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

Matt K said:


> I would like to get some insurance for my hives. I am primarily concerned about theft. Who do you all think I should I talk to.
> 
> Thank you,
> Matt


Matt,
Is this really a concern (theft)?

I find just keeping them at locations that are hard to find or beyond the house at the farms I keep bees on very adequate. Almost none of my hives could be seen from a road. 

Except for a few thefts in California, I have not really heard about theft in other areas, except for the very rare case, many times a story repeated from twenty something years ago.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Grant said:


> I checked with my local Farm Bureau who acted like I wanted to insure a nuclear waste dump. I even had copies of posts in this forum from guys who went to their Farm Bureau to get insured. Nope. Not happening with my farm bureau.


Interesting. I got a million bucks worth of liability insurance through Farm Bureau. Was not a big deal, although it isn't product liability insurance. That's an entirely different matter. Mine is for the event that someone gets injured from my bees. It even covers the outyards. So, I reckon it depends on what you're looking for and your local agency. They said they'd also cover the hives themselves if I wanted. I figured I was willing to accept that risk on my own.


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## Swobee (May 18, 2007)

Each state Farm Bureau system is automonous, with some coexistence with Iowa & Kansas FB associations and probably others. What one state association insurance company will embrace, another may say not with a ten foot stick will we touch that one. A friend used to be a Ks. FB agent and told me all sorts of underwriting nightmares trying to find coverage that independant agents' companies would cover, no sweat. I don't know what Ks. FB position would be on hives or honey liability. I may call the local office and see how hard they laugh.


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## Matt K (Mar 29, 2005)

Grant,
Indeed this is America and anyone can sue anyone for anything that does not mean they will win. I will start off with the company I have homeowners with. I did search however the first page was postings pertaining to stuff like sugar on the inner cover for some insurance. I could have worked harder from this standpoint point taken. Thank you for the specifics on what you pay and what you get.

BjornBee,

Yes it is a concern. Ask me if it is a legitimate concern and I will respond I do not know. Do you lock your house when you leave it? If you in BFE you may not. I lock mine because it is easy and cost effective. I would consider insurance for theft and bear damage in the same light. I am a nubie at beekeeping only on year 6 and I have started a LLC I am new at that as well. I am just looking for info.


Dan,
Thanks

Swobee
Thanks

Cheers and thanks for the info all,
Matt


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

Matt K said:


> BjornBee,
> 
> Yes it is a concern. Ask me if it is a legitimate concern and I will respond I do not know. Do you lock your house when you leave it? If you in BFE you may not. I lock mine because it is easy and cost effective. I would consider insurance for theft and bear damage in the same light. I am a nubie at beekeeping only on year 6 and I have started a LLC I am new at that as well. I am just looking for info.
> Matt


That's why I asked the question....is it a legitimate concern? For me, and about 99% of other beekeepers, I would say its not a concern either. I'd say most are comfortable with a well thought out bee yards, not visible from the road, protected by isolation on a farm that involves needing to drive past the farm house to get to the bees, and and other practical measures.

I also have insurance. I have liability on the bees (stings and accidents) and honey. That ends in about 3 months. I also have a new policy that covers such items as soap and candles and other aspects of my business that was not covered previously. I did look into insurance against loss (dead hives) and theft, and just concluded it was not worth it. The current insurance policy would not cover it.

BTW, No, I do not lock my house  But again, location, location, location...  I choose my apiary locations about the same I choose my home where my family lives. Both are protected by thought out planning, neighbors and other land owners who care about others, etc. Not sure if this was really on topic, but since you asked, I answered. Not sure what "BFE" means?

I can see liability insurance. I could not find adequate insurance against dead hives. And found it not practical for insurance for theft. Just my opinion.

Grant.....$500 per year for theft insurance on 120 hives???? I'd crunch those numbers and consider self-insurance. Seems like a lot.


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## NeilV (Nov 18, 2006)

"BTW, No, I do not lock my house"

What was that address again?


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## tarheit (Mar 26, 2003)

We ended up switching our home insurance to an ANPAC farm package because it covered the home and bees (liability, product liability, theft, etc.) and ended up less than our old plan. I don't think they are in all states, but may be worth a look.
http://www.anpac.com/products/p_c/ag/default.aspx

-Tim


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## Matt K (Mar 29, 2005)

BjornBee said:


> BTW, No, I do not lock my house  But again, location, location, location...  I choose my apiary locations about the same I choose my home where my family lives. Both are protected by thought out planning, neighbors and other land owners who care about others, etc. Not sure if this was really on topic, but since you asked, I answered. Not sure what "BFE" means?
> 
> I can see liability insurance. I could not find adequate insurance against dead hives. And found it not practical for insurance for theft. Just my opinion.
> 
> Grant.....$500 per year for theft insurance on 120 hives???? I'd crunch those numbers and consider self-insurance. Seems like a lot.


When I lived in Steamboat Springs we rarely locked our place. Location location location.
I am not fortunate enough to get to pick my spots that carefully at this point. Perhaps in the future. I suspect the critter gitter is my insurance policy in the mountains. The alfalfa fields to the east of me is gonna be luck and location. BFE is bum freaking Egypt or well let your ming go here. Its all on topic to me no worries at all.

Mike,
I am starting a business not unlike yours. Would you like to start the Colorado chapter of Bjorn Apiaries good for skiing and beekeeping ya know. If I had 1/2 your experience I would bee in a lot better position to start up thats for sure.
Cheers,
Matt


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

Grant.....$500 per year for theft insurance on 120 hives???? I'd crunch those numbers and consider self-insurance. Seems like a lot.[/QUOTE said:


> Maybe I need to clarify. I do not have theft insurance. I self-insure for that with good locations and attentive land owners. I'm not even sure I'm covered for theft.
> 
> My cost for insurance is premises and product liability. I am required by my best wholesale customer to carry it at his request, which is probably his insurance company's request. This account more than makes up for the cost. We also have a great relationship that started when I met his request/requirement for insurance.
> 
> ...


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