Thank you for considering honey bees for your property! If you need an ag exemption, or just want all the local, fresh honey you can eat from your property, we’d love to work together! On this page we try to answer many common questions, and explain what we are looking for in a piece of property for honeybees. Unfortunately, most properties do not work for honey bees, so we want to clarify up front as much as possible what is needed. 

 

Q: What are you looking for in a piece of property? 

There are 3 main factors that are critical:

1. Access. Since we drive in and out of the property with 1 ton trucks & all terrain forklifts, we need access that isn’t cutting through a yard or lawn, but ideally we can directly access the field we will place the bees off a main roadway. We’re also looking for areas that are easy in and out with our large trucks.

2. Areas not excessively wet/muddy. When it rains, we always work to stay out of all bee yards if possible. Ideally we are looking for locations that after a few days of drying, we can access again. We try to avoid areas that require us to drive through areas that stay wet for weeks at a time, since caring for our bees in a timely manner is very important. If we do make ruts, or damage a property in any way, we absolutely fix it! But we would prefer to avoid it in the first place. 

3. Distance from your home, or other homes. We are a commercial beekeeping company, so we typically put anywhere from 50-200 beehives on a property. That’s a lot of bees! Homes either need to be separated from the area we place bees by a thick treeline, or are several hundred yards away. Placing 200 beehives on a small, 5-10 acre, sparsely treed property which you also live on typically does not work. Locations that are not lived on are ideal. 

 

Q: How many hives are needed for an ag exemption? 

It varies by county, but typically a minimum of 6-8 hives, and you must have a minimum of 5 acres, and a maximum of 20 acres to qualify for ag exemption using bees. However, since we are a commercial beekeeping company, we put far more than that per location, usually 50-200 hives per location. 

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Q: What areas are you looking for to place bees?

Right now, we are looking for locations in Texas, in Fannin County, Eastern Grayson County, or North Eastern Collin County, or in a 45 mile radius of Houston, Tx.  

 

Q: How long are the bees on my property? 

We typically bring bees in mid March, and remove them by late May to early June in most cases. This does still work for ag exemptions, since they are not required to be there year around. Once flowers begin to fade in Texas, we pick up the hives and move them to new areas out of state that are cooler and have flowers just starting to bloom. 

 

Q: How many hives will be on my property? 

It varies on the size of the property, and what we are doing with the bees on your property. We are typically bringing in about 200 mature hives, and breaking them up into smaller hives to grow new hives. Below are some pictures of properties with our hives on them. 

Q: Will bees bother cows, horses, etc? 

Nope! Most properties we keep bees also have other livestock on them as well. They co-exist very well, and leave each other alone. 

 

Q: Can I mow around the bees, and will they bother me if I work near them? 

A healthy respect for bees is important. We don’t recommend mowing around the bees while they are on site, but wait until we move them. We also recommend landowners stay away from the bees. While they are often very gentle, if we’ve recently worked with them, or the weather is bad, they can be defensive if you get close to their hives. We would be happy to provide you with a bee suit if you would like.  

 

Q: When will you and your crews be working the bees? 

All hours. Spring is incredibly busy in the beekeeping world, and we often work during the night, early in the morning, on weekends, late in the evening, and all hours in between. 

 

Q: What if my property is damaged? 

We carry full insurance, and always fix any damage that is done. We’ve never had any damage done to a property other than ruts made. We’re very careful to avoid making ruts, but, during very wet springs, it does happen on occasion. We always come back each summer after the bees are gone and fix any ruts with your choice of gravel or topsoil. We also frequently, with your permission, improve a property by adding culverts, gravel driveways, etc. if it makes the property easier to access. 

 

Q: Do I need to provide water, food, or anything else for the bees?

Nope! There is nothing you need to do to help care for the bees, we’ll take care of everything they need. 

 

Q: Do bees need shade? Or do I need to have lots of flowers on my property? 

We typically try to put bees in full sun, ideally along a treeline, or around trees. The quantity or type of flowers on your property actually doesn’t matter a lot, since bees forage in a 2 mile radius of their hive. They’ll be gathering honey from flowers over a much larger area than your property alone. 

 

If you still want bees on your property, and your property fits the parameters outlined above, please fill out the form below to have us come to your property and visit with you further!