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Eligibility

​​​​​​​​Eligibility requirements are set to ensure that hives meet minimum health standards, to ensure colony health and survivability. Mite levels, strong colonies in the fall, and overwintering of hives are key to ensuring colony health and survivability during the winter months. For full details, read theCommodity-Specific Terms: Bee Health. If you have any questions, please contact us. We're here to help.

To be eligible for bee health coverage:

  • Register all of your beeyard locations under the Bees Act with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) annually. For more information, call 1-877-424-1300.
  • Have a minimum of 50 colonies that overwinter in Ontario.
  • Insure all of your eligible colonies.
  • Meet all deadlines and follow the eligibility requirements for your colonies and hives listed in the Commodity-Specific Terms: Bee Health.
  • Meet the minimum standard for eligible frames.
  • Follow good colony management p​ractices​.

Insurable colonies​

To be eligible for bee health coverage, colonies must meet the following criteria:

  • Hive structures must, at a minimum, consist of a standard Langstroth beehive with movable frames, with at least one full-depth brood chamber
  • Colony must be queenright
  • An eligible frame is a frame with at least 2/3 of the cells on each side filled with brood and/or eggs and/or live bees
  • Minimum number of eligible frames per hive by type of brood chamber:
    Brood
    chamb​er    		 Minimum​ number
    of eligible frames
    Single7
    Double or triple12

Maintaining your coverage

To ensure that you're always covered:

  • If you are planning to wrap your hives before October 15, notify Agricorp at least 5 days before you wrap them.
  • Notify Agricorp at least 5 business days before you unwrap hives that have been overwintered outdoors, or before you remove hives from indoor storage.
  • If you notice damaged or lost colonies at any time, contact Agricorp immediately.
  • Contact Agricorp before you move or clean up dead colonies.
  • Contact Agricorp if your business structure changes, including name, address, shareholders or management practice changes.
  • Report your colony inventory as requested by Agricorp in the spring.
  • Continue to meet all other eligibility criteria.​

    Coverage period

    Bee health coverage begins on November 1, or when you wrap your hives or move them indoors, whichever comes first. Notify Agricorp 5 days before you wrap your hives or move them indoors. An Agricorp adjuster may be present to verify that your hives are eligible for coverage.

    Bee health coverage ends on May 15, or when you unwrap your hives or move them outdoors, whichever comes first. Notify Agricorp 5 days before you unwrap your hives or move them outdoors. An Agricorp adjuster may be present to check for damage.

    Note: You can open your hives at any time to feed your bees without ending your coverage.

    ​Good colony management resource list

    Good colony management practices are approved methods or techniques for managing your colonies. The following is a list of resources that you can use to find more information about good colony management practices:

    • Commodity-Specific Terms: Bee Health
    • OMAFRA's Best Management Practices (BMP) for Ontario Beekeepers in Advance of Winter
    • The OMAFRA apiary program
    • The Ontario Beekeepers' Association Technology Transfer program
    • The University of Guelph Townsend House Honey Bee Research Centre
    • Federal and provincial extension staff, technical consultants, industry representatives, and local agri-business personnel
    Canadian Agricultural Partnership – Agricorp – Ontario – Canada
    © Agricorp