In this episode, Mike, Alissha, and Tim answer everything you've ever wanted to know about bees, as long as you wanted to know if damage by bees was covered under homeowners insurance, if honey seeping through the walls is considered an ensuing loss, whether honey can be considered a "secretion," and if bees should be considered "birds."
Notable Timestamps
[ 00:27 ] - Honeybees have infested the insured's walls. The insured will have to get the bees removed, and repair any damage leaking honey may have caused.
[ 01:58 ] - Mike shares his own close encounter with a woodpecker infestation.
[ 03:00 ] - Most homeowners policies exclude damages caused by animals because insurance covers "risks" and not "costs" like the typical expenses of homeownership.
[ 04:18 ] - Many policies list excluded categories of animals such as "birds, rodents, and insects." Scientifically and in layman's terms, bees are considered "insects."
[ 07:08 ] - Some courts have held that even if a creature is not scientifically considered an "insect," it may still be considered an "insect" under the policy under layman's terms.
[ 07:47 ] - Damage created by burrowing insects is likely not covered because it would be considered "caused by" insects, regardless of whether the bees and the woodpeckers work together.
[ 08:56 ] - Under the ensuing loss clause, losses that "ensue from" insects are typically not excluded. In Arizona, damage by honey was considered covered-- or at least not excluded-- under the ensuing loss clause.
[ 11:56 ] - Secretions from animals are excluded under many homeowners forms, but the honey production process is more complicated than a simple secretion.
[ 14:47 ] - Tim provides a recap of the scenario and the points above.
Your PLRB Resources
Annotation on Animal Exclusion - https://search.plrb.org/?dn=46314&src=gsa
Webinar on "Just Because It Ensues Does Not Necessarily Make It an Ensuing Loss" - https://www.plrb.org/distlearn/webinars/vplayer.cfm?vid=w0128
Employees of member companies also have access to a searchable legal database, hundreds of hours of video trainings, building code materials, weather data, and even the ability to have your coverage questions answered by our team of attorneys (https://www.plrb.org/container.cfm?conlink=sec/cq/default.cfm) at no additional charge to you or your company.
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Legal Information
The views and opinions expressed in this resource are those of the individual speaker and not necessarily those of the Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB), its membership, or any organization with which the presenter is employed or affiliated. The information, ideas, and opinions are presented as information only and not as legal advice or offers of representation. Individual policy language and state laws vary, and listeners should rely on guidance from their companies and counsel as appropriate.
Music: "Piece of Future" by Keyframe_Audio. Pixabay. Pixabay License.
Font: Metropolis by Chris Simpson. SIL OFL 1.1.
Icons: FontAwesome (SIL OFL 1.1) and Noun Project (royalty-free licenses purchased via subscription).
Sound Effects: Pixabay (Pixabay License) and Freesound.org (CC0).
https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/many-bees-flying-around-27383/
https://thenounproject.com/icon/honey-4899109/
https://thenounproject.com/icon/honey-1294409/
https://thenounproject.com/icon/bee-1248045/
