Insurance cover.

Update 2nd September 2021. 

Your Committee has continued to review the Insurance situation as it relates to a beekeeper hosting a Summer Apiary meeting. All of the below still stands and we have established that recent enquiries directed at the Household Policy provider show that, if told of the meeting, the existing Insurance will cover the meeting. BUT the responsibilty is with the householder. 

Your Committee has produced a Risk Assessment document as guidance and this can be viewed here. Members are advised to complete a risk assessment prior to hosting an apiary meeting.

This is an extremely tricky subject to cover and has exercised successive Committees for many years.

The following text was received in December 2015 from the Secretary of the SBA. We are affiliated to the SBA for a yearly subscription which gives us access to SBA speakers, a copy of the SBA magazine and insurance cover for our own Association activities.

"There has been a lot of confusion over SBA insurance cover recently particularly concerning whether a member of the Local association who is not a member of the SBA was covered through their association. The definitive answer is that only members of the SBA are covered by its insurance.  

The SBA Public Liability policy covers members of the SBA for claims from third parties for accident or injury where negligence is established. It extends to include bee products sold by members of the SBA. There is an extension which covers listed local associations of the SBA for claims arising through the operation of an unattended apiary.

So, if you are not a member of the SBA, you will not be covered by its insurance even if your local association is affiliated to the SBA.

For a full explanation/interpretation of the SBA Insurance cover click here. 

If you are at all concerned, please check your personal insurance policies and act as necessary.

But, the obvious and easier thing to do is to join the SBA. For £40 you get public liability insurance up to £2 million as well as compensation should you lose bees due to brood disease, theft, vandalism or fire. (the insurance policy is to be renegotiated with the aim of increasing this cover to 5 or 10 million)

Additionally, you will receive a colour 'Scottish Beekeeper' magazine every month, and gain access to events, conferences and the education scheme at cheaper member rates.

If you have bees then we strongly recommend you acquire insurance and you won't get it any cheaper than the SBA. The other benefits of membership are worth it too even if you haven't got bees.

A SBA Membership Application form will be available on-line that you can simply fill in and post with a cheque made payable to the 'SBA' for £40 to Membership Officer, Phil McAnespie, 12 Monument Road, Ayr, KA7 2RL."