About premium rates
Bee health premium rates are cost-shared with governments. These rates show the customer portion of the premium and don’t include the government portion or any administrative costs.
Rates are set annually and are based on insurable values and past claims.
Your premium = premium rate × number of insured colonies
For your own premium rates, see your Renewal Notice.
Premium discount
You may qualify for a 10% premium rate discount on your premium invoice if you meet eligibility requirements and use beneficial management practices during the spring and summer months, including taking an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) course and monitoring and treating for varroa mites.
The use of beneficial management practices that target varroa mites has been shown to increase the overwinter survival rate of Ontario honey bee colonies, can lead to fewer colony losses, and supports the vitality of the bee sector.
The following eligibility requirements for the premium rate discount are in addition to good colony management practices that are already in place as part of your Production Insurance coverage for bee health.
Eligibility requirements
Contact Agricorp by October 15 to make any changes to your coverage and confirm your eligibility, including monitoring hives and taking an IPM course.
Monitoring hives
After unwrapping your hives in the spring, you need to monitor for varroa mites monthly from April to October (minimum 7 times).
If varroa mite levels go above any of the following recommended thresholds, you need to treat your hives.
| Time period for monitoring | Threshold for treating
(alcohol wash) | Threshold for treating
(sticky board) |
| April | >1 mite/100 bees | >6 mite/24-hour drop |
| May to July | >2 mite/100 bees | >9 mite/24-hour drop |
| August to October | >3 mite/100 bees | >12 mite/24-hour drop |
IPM course
To be eligible for the discount, you need to have taken an Ontario-specific beekeeping course offered through the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association or another accredited educational institution, with a focus on IPM practices.
If you have taken a course within the last 2 years, but are unsure if it is recognized, contact Agricorp to confirm its eligibility.
List of eligible courses
Insurable value
For each coverage level, there are two insurable value options to choose from – a nucleus colony value or a single colony value. Based on the insurable value you choose, you get the associated premium rate. For information about how your coverage level is determined, see the How it works page.
