A sting that sends a neighbour to hospital, a hive that topples off the trailer on the way to the rapeseed bloom, a jar of honey that gets complained about: beekeeping carries risks that many only notice once they happen. This page shows what professional and part-time beekeepers in Germany should insure and what it costs.
Are my bee colonies covered if they die from foulbrood?
No. Bee diseases such as American foulbrood are not covered by general liability or a standard contents policy, the risk is practically uninsurable on the open market. If the authorities order a quarantine and destruction of colonies, Germany's state-run animal disease fund (Tierseuchenkasse) steps in instead, funded by compulsory contributions from registered beekeepers. Theft, storm and vandalism at the apiary can be covered separately through a contents policy.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
Stings on allergic people
A passer-by or neighbour has an allergic reaction to a sting and needs emergency treatment, the cost falls on the beekeeper.
02
Pollination goes wrong
A farmer blames the beekeeper for a poor harvest, claiming colonies arrived too late or in too small a number.
03
Honey as a product
A customer complains about contaminated or mislabelled honey, a product liability claim can quickly exceed a year's turnover.
04
Mobile beekeeping and transport
Hives fall off the trailer while moving to the rapeseed or lime bloom, damaging the vehicle and the load.
05
Theft and vandalism at the apiary
Beehives often stand in remote spots and get stolen or deliberately knocked over.
06
Foulbrood and poisoning
A notifiable bee disease or a pesticide accident nearby can wipe out whole colonies, and general liability does not step in for that.
Covers bee stings affecting third parties, pollination disputes with farmers, product liability for honey, and incidents at market stalls or farm shops.
For beekeeping businesses running their own online shop for honey and supplies, against data loss and order fraud.
What it costs: example prices
Beekeepers mainly pay for general liability, tiered by colony count, turnover and whether mobile beekeeping is involved. Many members of German beekeeping associations already have basic cover through their membership, which is usually not enough for professional beekeepers with their own sales.
Insurance
Example
Typical range
Business liability
Part-time business with up to 25 colonies and farm-gate sales
around €100 to €200 a year
Business liability
Professional beekeeping business with about 100 colonies, turnover up to €50,000, €3 million cover
around €130 to €600 a year
Business contents
Extractor, equipment and store worth €20,000
around €150 to €400 a year
Car insurance
Transport vehicle for mobile beekeeping, liability and partial cover
around €400 to €900 a year
Business interruption
Twelve months of lost income for professional beekeepers
around €300 to €900 a year
For comparison: General liability for a small beekeeping business costs about as much a year as 15 to 20 jars of honey sold at the farm gate.
Indicative figures excluding insurance tax, as of September 2026,
based on publicly stated sample offers.
Beekeeping association membership in Germany often includes a group cover that is cheaper but
narrower than a dedicated business liability policy.
Foulbrood and other notifiable diseases are not covered by these premiums,
Six things that really happen to beekeepers, put together into one day. Tap through and see who pays.
Damage so far€48,700
Loading up for the rapeseed bloom, a hive slips off the trailer, damaging the van.
€4,200 · Paid by: Car insurance
A walker gets stung repeatedly near the mobile apiary and has an allergic reaction, needing emergency treatment.
€18,000 · Paid by: Business liability
A farmer blames the beekeeper for a weak apple harvest, claiming the colonies were set up too late.
€9,500 · Paid by: Business liability
A customer falls ill after a jar of honey and reports a product defect.
€6,000 · Paid by: Business liability
Unknown intruders knock over three hives at an exposed teaching apiary overnight, destroying hives and tools.
€3,800 · Paid by: Business contents
A short circuit in the extraction room floods the store and equipment.
€7,200 · Paid by: Business contents
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €48,700
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Make sure pollination services and product liability for honey are explicitly included in your general liability policy, not every policy covers them automatically.
Register your colonies with the animal disease fund of your German state, it is the only cover against foulbrood and other notifiable diseases.
Check whether membership in a beekeeping association already includes basic cover before taking out a second policy.
Insure transport vehicles and trailers for mobile beekeeping separately, standard car policies often fall short.
Keep records of colony numbers, locations and values at the apiary, it speeds up claims after theft or vandalism.
At markets and farm events, check whether running the stall and offering tastings is included in general liability.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We ask about pollination
Claims from farmers over supposedly missed or poor pollination are the gap beekeeping businesses underestimate most. As a broker we compare which insurers cover this properly.
Product liability in view
Anyone selling honey carries the same liability as any food business. We make sure that cover is actually written into the policy.
Business, vehicles and family
We look after your apiary, your transport vehicles and your personal cover from a single point of contact.
A family business since 1989
Many beekeeping businesses run as a side occupation, and so do we. Free of charge for you, the insurer pays our fee.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
What does general liability insurance cost for beekeepers?
For a small part-time business with farm-gate sales, €100 to €200 a year is a realistic range,
professional beekeeping businesses with more colonies and turnover can reach up to €600.
Does insurance pay out if my colonies die from foulbrood?
No.
Foulbrood and other notifiable bee diseases are not covered by general liability or contents
insurance, the state animal disease fund handles this,
funded by compulsory beekeeper contributions.
Do I need my own insurance if I belong to a beekeeping association?
Membership in a German state beekeeping association usually includes basic group cover.
For professional beekeepers with their own sales, pollination contracts or higher turnover,
that is often not enough and a dedicated liability policy makes sense.
Does mobile beekeeping need separate cover?
Transporting colonies is a motor risk covered by your vehicle insurance,
damage to hives and equipment while moving them should be clarified separately in your contents
policy.
Who handles workplace accidents in a beekeeping business?
The SVLFG, Germany's agricultural social insurance body.
Beekeepers above a certain colony count fall under its compulsory insurance.
Is selling honey through my own online shop covered?
Only if it is explicitly named in your general liability policy.
For risks like data loss or fraud during checkout, you also need a separate cyber insurance policy.
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