# Insurance for beekeeping businesses in Germany

> 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.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-beekeeping.php  
Updated: 2026-09-19

## 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.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No dedicated compulsory insurance; motor liability for transport vehicles on public roads
- **Biggest risk:** Injury claims from bee stings on allergic third parties, and pollination disputes with neighbouring farmers
- **Basic cover from:** around €130 a year for general liability for a small beekeeping business
- **Social insurance:** SVLFG, the agricultural social insurance body, compulsory for owners, family and staff above a certain colony count
- **Often forgotten:** Colony losses from foulbrood or poisoning are essentially uninsurable on the open market

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **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.
- **Pollination goes wrong:** A farmer blames the beekeeper for a poor harvest, claiming colonies arrived too late or in too small a number.
- **Honey as a product:** A customer complains about contaminated or mislabelled honey, a product liability claim can quickly exceed a year's turnover.
- **Mobile beekeeping and transport:** Hives fall off the trailer while moving to the rapeseed or lime bloom, damaging the vehicle and the load.
- **Theft and vandalism at the apiary:** Beehives often stand in remote spots and get stolen or deliberately knocked over.
- **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.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 5, Fire and water 3, Theft 3, Cyber 1, Downtime 3, Health 4

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers bee stings affecting third parties, pollination disputes with farmers, product liability for honey, and incidents at market stalls or farm shops. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Covers extractors, equipment, hives at the apiary and stored honey against fire, storm, theft and vandalism. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Car insurance** (Strongly advised): For the vans and trailers used to move colonies for mobile beekeeping; liability cover is compulsory on public roads. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-car-insurance.php
- **Business interruption** (Depends on the business): For professional beekeepers with larger revenue losses when a whole season falls away after damage to the apiary or extraction room. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Natural hazard cover** (Depends on the business): For fixed bee houses and permanent stands, as an add-on to contents cover against flooding and heavy rain. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-natural-hazards.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): For beekeeping businesses running their own online shop for honey and supplies, against data loss and order fraud. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php

## 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, that is the job of the state animal disease fund. We obtain the exact quote for you._

- [berufshaftpflichtversicherung-experten.de: liability insurance for beekeeping](https://berufshaftpflichtversicherung-experten.de/betriebshaftpflicht-imkerei/)
- [dieversicherer.de: how beekeepers insure against colony losses](https://www.dieversicherer.de/versicherer/beruf/news/bienen-sterben-versicherung-144644)
- [Mellifera e. V.: beekeeper insurance](https://www.mellifera.de/imkerversicherung/)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Part-time** (Hobby and part-time beekeepers with farm-gate sales): Business liability, Business contents. Together: around €250 to €600 a year
- **Professional beekeeping** (Professional beekeepers with their own sales and pollination contracts): Business liability, Business contents, Car insurance, Business interruption. Together: around €1,000 to €2,500 a year
- **Mobile beekeeping** (Businesses that move colonies frequently for pollination work): Business liability, Car insurance, Business contents. Together: around €700 to €1,700 a year

## The worst day in a beekeeping business

Six things that really happen to beekeepers, put together into one day. Tap through and see who pays.

- 06:10: Loading up for the rapeseed bloom, a hive slips off the trailer, damaging the van. (€4,200, Paid by: Car insurance)
- 09:30: A walker gets stung repeatedly near the mobile apiary and has an allergic reaction, needing emergency treatment. (€18,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 12:45: A farmer blames the beekeeper for a weak apple harvest, claiming the colonies were set up too late. (€9,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 15:00: A customer falls ill after a jar of honey and reports a product defect. (€6,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 18:20: Unknown intruders knock over three hives at an exposed teaching apiary overnight, destroying hives and tools. (€3,800, Paid by: Business contents)
- 21:00: A short circuit in the extraction room floods the store and equipment. (€7,200, Paid by: Business contents)

**Damage so far:** €48,700

## 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.

## FAQ

### 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.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-beekeeping.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.