What is a beehive placement agreement?
Beekeepers are always looking for good sites, and landowners, orchards and market gardens are glad of the pollination. Most of these arrangements start with a handshake and a jar of honey. That works until a swarm lands on a neighbour's porch, a contractor sprays the field next to the hives without warning, or the land is sold and the beekeeper has two weeks to move bees in the middle of summer.
This agreement puts the essentials on one or two pages. It records where the hives stand and the maximum number, the access route and any notice before visits, water for the bees, and the beekeeper's apiary registration. The beekeeper commits to good practice — flight paths away from homes and paths, swarm management and collection, disease reporting. The landowner receives a share of the honey, a yearly rent, or simply the pollination, and gives notice before spraying anything harmful to bees. It covers safety signs and sting allergies, liability for each side, the beekeeper's insurance, and notice to end with a removal date that is safe for the colonies.
- Best for
- Farms, orchards, gardens and estates hosting a beekeeper's hives
- Signed by
- The landowner and the beekeeper
- Landowner receives
- A share of the honey, a yearly rent, or the pollination
- Length
- 2 to 3 pages
When to use a beehive placement agreement
- An orchard hosting hives through blossom season and beyond
- A farmer letting a local beekeeper keep an apiary along a field margin
- A homeowner with a large garden hosting two hives for a share of the honey
- A school, business park or golf course hosting hives on its grounds
- A beekeeping club placing hives on donated land
What you fill in
21 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: landowner, beekeeper.
1 The parties
- Landowner*
- Landowner phone*
- Beekeeper (name or business)*
- Beekeeper phone (for swarms and emergencies)*
- Beekeeper's apiary registration number
2 The site
- Address or description of the land*
- Where the hives will stand*
- Maximum number of hives*
- Access*
- Notice before visits* none needed for routine visits · a text message on the day · 24 hours' notice
- Water for the bees* The Beekeeper will provide a water source near the hives. · There is natural water on the land that the bees may use.
3 Term
- Start date*
- End date (optional)
- Notice to end (days)*
4 Terms
- What the landowner receives* a share of the honey · a yearly rent · nothing — the pollination is the benefit
- Honey for the landowner
- Currency
- Yearly rent
- Notice before spraying (days)*
- Beekeeper's liability insurance, at least
- Governing law*
5 Who signs
- Landowner signature and date · The owner or occupier of the land where the hives will stand. If the beekeeper is sending, switch who is "Me" on the setup page.
- Beekeeper signature and date · The beekeeper who owns and looks after the hives.
What the beehive placement agreement covers
- The hives
- Access
- Keeping the bees
- What the Landowner receives
- Pesticides and spraying
- Safety, liability and insurance
- Term and removing the hives
- General
Using the beehive placement agreement, step by step
1 Who and where
Enter the landowner and the beekeeper, with phone numbers for swarms and emergencies, and the beekeeper's apiary registration if there is one. Describe the land and exactly where the hives will stand.
2 Site details
Set the maximum number of hives, the access route, any notice needed before visits, and whether the beekeeper provides water or there's a natural source.
3 What the landowner gets
Choose a share of the honey (and describe it), a yearly rent, or no payment. Set how many days' notice the landowner gives before spraying.
4 Term and send
Set the start date, an optional end date and the notice to end. Add a minimum insurance level if you want one, the governing law, and send it.
Tips before you send it
- Pick a hive spot with a hedge or fence in front of it. It lifts the bees' flight path above head height.
- Share each other's numbers with anyone who works on the land, so a swarm or a spray plan reaches the right person fast.
- Ask the beekeeper whether their association membership includes liability insurance — many do.
- Agree in advance what happens if the land is sold. A buyer may not want the hives, and moving bees is easiest in cooler weather.
Sign it online in minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. FileIt builds the PDF with every signature, date box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in your vault and emailed to everyone.
Beehive placement agreement: frequently asked questions
Is the landowner responsible if the bees sting someone?
The agreement makes the beekeeper responsible for injury or damage caused by the bees where the beekeeper hasn't followed the agreement or good beekeeping practice. The landowner agrees to keep people away from the hives where possible and to mention known sting allergies. Liability rules vary by place, so insurance is worth having.
What about pesticides?
The landowner gives the beekeeper notice of the number of days you set before spraying anything harmful to bees, naming the product and place, so the hives can be closed or moved. Bee-safe products and evening spraying are encouraged.
Who collects swarms?
The beekeeper. They manage colonies to reduce swarming and collect swarms from the land, or from a neighbour's property with the neighbour's agreement, as soon as reasonably possible.
Can a beehive agreement be signed online?
Yes. An agreement like this is an ordinary contract, and electronic signatures are generally valid for it in the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada. FileIt keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF.
Is this template free?
Yes. It's free with the eSignature app in FileIt, and the other party signs from a link without an account.