Hi there!
 
Recently, while on a hike in a neighboring State Park, the Ranger and I
disscussed the idea of having an observation hive in exchange for a fenced
off apiary which we might work.  He loved the idea, a letter of proposal
was written and wisked off to the officials at State Government.  They
liked it too, but said we'd have to carry $500,000 in liability insurance.
Liability for what they didn't say, just for all liability.  They also said
we must agree not to produce more than $2,000 in profit from that apiary
which, given the current state of things, is not a hard stipulation to
meet.  It is a simply beautiful area, surrounded by farms, and I expect
wonderful for both the bees and those who work them.
 
So I rang up my USAA homeowner's policy to find out if it would cover hives
we might keep out there.  "Well, we didn't know you had bees, and you have
them at your house too, oh my, we'll have to re-review your policy before
we renew it as this poses a serious liability risk exposure."  After that
came a series of very stupid questions "Do you keep them in a cage or are
they just, er, out in the open?"
 
I really don't know what's going to happen now, either with my own
homeowner insurance or this wider question of liability in an out yard.
Has anyone experienced anything like this?
 
I've kept bees for 4 years at my home.  I'm not sure I like life in the
modern world.
 
Tim Cote MD MPH
 
Timothy R. Cote MD MPH
Resident Pathologist and Epidemiologist
Laboratory of Pathology, NIH
tel. 301-496-2441
fax. 301-408-9488
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