Beekeeping & Apiary Insurance Coverage Checklist
The coverages a beekeeping & apiary business may carry — core, prevalent, and situational — why each matters, and the gap most often missed.
Pull out your current policy and check the box next to any coverage you can confirm is already in place — anything unchecked is worth a quick conversation with your advisor. Coverage checklist for commercial and sideline beekeepers, pollination services, and honey producers. Priorities reflect typical exposure for this class; confirm against your actual hives and contracts.
Tick each coverage you can confirm you carry — anything left unticked is a good question for your next policy review.
| Have it? | Coverage | Why this business needs it | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / Farm Liability | Covers stings and other injuries to neighbors, growers, and the public. | Core | |
| Hive & Equipment (Inland Marine) | Covers hives, supers, and equipment against theft, fire, and overturn — wherever they are. | Core | |
| Commercial Auto | Covers bee trucks and trailers, including a spilled load on the highway. | Core | |
| Workers' Compensation / Employer's Liability | Covers crews lifting hives and working yards. | Core | |
| Contractual Liability | Confirms the insurance and indemnity terms in grower pollination contracts are covered. | Prevalent | |
| Products Liability | Covers honey and hive products sold under your label. | Prevalent | |
| Motor Truck Cargo | Covers hives while hauled by you or a hired trucker. | Prevalent | |
| Honey House / Building Property | Covers the extraction facility, tanks, and stored honey. | Situational | |
| Federal ELAP Program (Colony Loss) | USDA aid for colony losses that insurance often excludes. | Situational | |
| Umbrella / Excess Liability | Adds limits growers and landowners may require. | Situational |
The coverage gap most often missed
The gap most often missed by beekeepers is the hives themselves once they leave the home yard. Farm property policies often do not follow hives to pollination sites, and theft is common — nearly 10,000 hives were stolen in California's almond country from 2013 to 2024. Disease, mites, and pesticide kills are rarely insurable, so pair inland marine coverage for theft and overturn with the USDA colony-loss program, and keep a current yard list.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your beekeeping & apiary coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Beekeeping & Apiary Insurance · Beekeeping & Apiary Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does a beekeeping & apiary business need?
The core coverages for a beekeeping & apiary business are General / Farm Liability, Hive & Equipment (Inland Marine), Commercial Auto, Workers' Compensation / Employer's Liability. This checklist also lists the prevalent and situational coverages worth considering, with a plain-English note on why each matters.
Is this checklist insurance advice?
No. It is a free educational tool to help you have a more informed conversation with a licensed professional. It affords no coverage and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice — only your actual policy language governs what is and isn't covered.
Can Cory Washington & Co. review my beekeeping & apiary coverage?
Yes. Share your checklist and we'll review your program line by line, market your account across multiple carriers, and explain the trade-offs in plain English. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
This checklist is a free educational tool from Cory Washington & Co. to help you review your own coverage and have a more informed conversation with a licensed insurance professional. It is general information only — not insurance, legal, or financial advice, and not a recommendation to buy, change, or cancel any policy. Coverage terms, availability, limits, and requirements vary by policy, carrier, and state, and only the language in your actual policy governs what is and isn’t covered. Checking or leaving blank any item above does not indicate that you are adequately insured or under-insured. Using this checklist does not create a client, agency, or fiduciary relationship. Always consult a licensed professional about your specific situation.