Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI)
The insurance company for beekeepers in England & Wales run by beekeepers
Working for bees, education, protection & research
Est: 1936
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Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI) provides insurance coverage specifically for beekeepers in England and Wales. The coverage offered by BDI compensates beekeepers who have had their equipment destroyed by a Bee Inspector as a result of their colony or colonies being infected by a notifiable disease, currently European Foulbrood (EFB) and American Foulbrood (AFB). The condition of the equipment can affect the level of compensation.
In addition to disease coverage, BDI also has a limited contingency fund to compensate for equipment destroyed following infestation by a notifiable pest, currently Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida) and Tropilaelaps.
It is important to note that only equipment destroyed is covered by this insurance, but not the cost of replacement bees. Click here to view full details of the insurance cover provided by BDI
2026 premiums unchanged
2026 premiums unchanged
The 2026 rates for Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI) are once again unchanged.
Due to careful husbandry of its resources, BDI has not increased its premiums in the recent past and has absorbed several rises in Insurance Premium Tax which is included in the subscription and premiums charged.
Insurance premiums are 'banded' by the number of colonies. Up to 3 colonies are included in the basic £2.00 subscription.
Additional cover is available by paying the additional BDI premium:
Up to 5 colonies in total: £1.20; Up to 10 colonies in total: £4.70
Up to 15 colonies in total: £7.75; Up to 20 colonies in total: £9.50
Up to 25 colonies in total: £11.10; Up to 30 colonies in total: £13.60
Up to 35 colonies in total: £16.10; Up to 39 colonies in total: £18.10
Whole apiary shook swarm - 2026
Whole apiary shook swarm - 2026
Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI) is funding a whole apiary shook swarm where EFB has been identified.
The scheme is offered for all colonies and equipment (eg frames, comb etc) stored in the infected apiary when at least one colony has been confirmed as having European foulbrood (EFB) by an Authorised Bee Inspector (ABI).
The National Bee Unit states: “Trials have shown that shaking bees onto new foundation and then destroying the old combs can be beneficial when controlling European foulbrood. This procedure is known as Shook Swarming and it may also be beneficial in controlling Nosema spp., chalk brood and Varroa mite populations. Colonies treated in this way often become the strongest and most productive in an apiary. Some beekeepers are now using this system to replace all the old brood combs in a beehive within a single procedure.”
For more information click here.
Photo courtesy of The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Crown Copyright
Tropilaelaps Research Project – Part 4
Tropilaelaps Research Project – Part 4
PHIRA-Science has been awarded a research grant by Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd to advance its Tropilaelaps mercedesae studies. Running from January 2026 to January 2029, this three-year project builds on previous BDI-funded work and focuses on understanding the reproduction of T. mercedesae at both individual and colony levels. It will trial formic acid and biotechnical control methods and expand beekeeper engagement efforts initiated in 2025. The project aims to generate practical insights for managing Tropilaelaps mites. Pictured is the lead researcher Maggie Gill.
BUZZ – Bee and Hornet Stings Research
BUZZ – Bee and Hornet Stings Research
The BUZZ project, jointly sponsored by Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI) and beekeeper associations, is a three‑year study running from 2025 to 2028. Led Professor Claire Bethune (pictured) with experts at University Hospitals Plymouth, Imperial College London, and Canterbury Christ Church University, the project investigates why beekeepers experience such varied reactions to bee stings—from mild local swelling to severe anaphylaxis.
Talk - A large-scale study of Varroa destructor treatment adherence in apiculture
Talk - A large-scale study of Varroa destructor treatment adherence in apiculture
Dr Thomas O'Shea-Wheller, Research Fellow at the Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, gave a presentation about his recent BDI-funded study to BDI's AGM in June 2025.
His research highlighted the critical role of treatment adherence in managing Varroa infestations. Using data from the National Bee Unit’s BeeBase from 2016-2020, the study found that the timing of Varroa treatment significantly impacts colony survival overwinter.
Varroa-monitoring calculator
Varroa-monitoring calculator
Stephen Martin, Emeritus Professor and BBKA Fellow, one of the developers of the original Varroa calculator, has developed a much simplified and rapid way of assessing mite load in our colonies. It is a free-to-use, web-based calculator that provides a mite population estimate and suggested action to take, if needed, throughout the year.
BDI Ltd has supported Stephen’s work over many years.
The calculator is hosted on www.varroaresistant.uk on the monitoring page.
Photo © Crown copyright
eR2 membership styem link to BeeBase
eR2 membership styem link to BeeBase
To streamline membership renewals and the registration of new members, most associations use eR2. Developed by Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI), eR2 was designed to manage membership administration. Importantly, there is no automatic transfer of data from local associations to BeeBase.
As eR2 membership processes evolved, some local associations requested a feature to enable consenting members to share their contact information with the National Bee Unit. For associations opting to provide this opportunity, members are prompted during renewal or when joining to indicate their consent by ticking a dedicated box. No data is shared without explicit permission from the individual beekeeper member.
Photo of European foulbrood, courtesy of The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Crown Copyright
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