Generally no — each tax parcel needs its own qualifying acreage, hive count, and history. The legitimate ways to handle adjacent parcels, and why the “empty hive” shortcut gets landowners audited.

Verified 2026 hive requirements for a bee ag exemption in 43 Texas counties. Most require 6 hives on 5 acres — but 14 counties use different standards. See yours.

Real pricing for Texas ag exemption hive management — what the service costs per hive, what drives the price, the three pricing models, and the one question to ask any provider before you sign.

You do not have to become a beekeeper to qualify for a beekeeping ag valuation. Here is how hive leases and management contracts work, what they cost, and what a good agreement covers.

No ag history means no valuation — yet. Here is the year-by-year plan for building a 5-of-7-year record with bees, what counts as proof, and the shortcut most buyers miss.

The 1-d-1 application is one form and a stack of proof. Here is exactly how to fill out Form 50-129, what to attach, and the mistakes that get applications kicked back.

The ag valuation saves you thousands a year — until the use stops. Here is how the rollback tax works, what triggers it, and the math on what three years of recapture actually costs.

A denial letter is not the end of the process — it is the start of a deadline. Here is the protest playbook we use when a county denies a beekeeping ag valuation.

Are you ready to become a beekeeper? Look no further! This guide will walk you through the process of starting your beekeeping journey, provide expert suggestions on how to get started, and recommend essential equipment. Beekeeping is rewarding and enjoyable, so let's dive in and make your experience a success! Why Beekeeping? Are you getting into beekeeping for ag exemption, honey production, or pollination benefits? No matter your goal, we can help you succeed. If you’re pu

For first year beekeepers I recommend inspecting your hive at least once every 2 weeks. Doing so will really help you understand the natural flow of a hive. You will learn so much in the first year! the best way to learn beekeeping is to go out there and do it! When conducting a routine hive inspection there are only a few things you need to make sure of. Healthy Queen You can tell if a queen is healthy or not by her brood pattern. Lots of healthy brood of varying stages tell

This is a delicious winter treat! A simple mixture of pure snow, raw honey, and cold cream into a smooth, fluffy, gelato like treat! Instead of driving and seeing snow covered pastures you will see mounds of this stuff. It will change your life...for the better.❄️ For one cup of of Honey Creamed Snow you will need, 2 Cups of Snow 1/4 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream 1/8 Cup of honey This works best if you make it outside in the snow, you need to keep everything cold while put it t

When and how to add honey supers to your hive for a bigger harvest. Learn when to super, when to add a queen excluder, and a frame-rotation trick to make more honey.

Finding queen cells in your hive can be very confusing. In this article I am going to break down how to identify what caused your ladies to raise a cell and what to do. There are four reasons a hive will produce queen cells. The hive is going to swarm (swarm cell) The hive is going to replace it queen (supersedure cell). The hive lost its queen. the hive just feels like raising queen cells... The Hive is going to swarm (swarm cell) Swarming is the bees natural way of reproduc

Swarming is the bees natural way of reproducing. In the wilde a hive would cast one or 2 swarms a year. The trigger that start a swarm mainly comes from an overcrowded hive. This hive is very full, it will swarm soon if left to itself. Hives tend to want to swarm in the Spring. There are several things that can be done to prevent swarming. Splitting is the most effective way to take the "swarm" out of a hive. When you split you are effectively creating an artificial swarm. Re

Winter is when most beekeepers lose their hive. Hives can die for a variety of reasons during the winter. After reading this article you will hopefully be well equipped with the knowledge to see your hive safely through the cold months. Winter preparation should really start in October. Hives with less than 3-4 frames of bees should be combined. Make sure your hive has 40-60 lbs of honey/syrup Check your Mite levels! Many hives die during the winter due to varroa! Make sure y

Workers are simply underdeveloped queens. They have the ability to lay eggs, but they can only lay unfertilized eggs - which turn into drones. If a hive is without a queen for more than 3 weeks some workers will begin laying eggs. It is usually pretty easy to identify. Workers do not have the ability to control how many eggs they can lay. Their will be multiple eggs and on the cells walls. (They are usually not long enough to reach the very bottom of the cell) You will find

This outline is full of tips and not hard fast rules. In general if you follow these guidelines your hive should survive and thrive. I suggest checking for Varroa during the spring, after extraction and in the fall and winter. The months that are highlighted are the ones that I suggest checking and treating for mites if necessary. This outline also starts in March because March is really the beginning of the year for the Texas beekeeper. Click here to see some of the the most

Queen rearing is a great way to increase your hives and can be combined with Varroa control. Raising queens introduces a brood break into the cycle of a hive. During this brood break a mite treatment can be used to kill almost all of the mites. I like to use Oxalic acid as it kills on contact and is natural and inexpensive. You do not have to be a sideliner beekeeper to raise queens. A few hives will suffice. You can raise up to 100 queens off of 1 hive. Raising queens is one

Feeding hives is a great way to keep you hives healthy, strong, and happy. Those girls really respond well to sugar! However, there are a few guidelines to follow to get the best results. I like the division board feeders (see below picture) I like the division board feeder because it holds more syrup than a regular jar feeder and it gives the hive immediate access to the syrup. When to feed Feeding is important when you need the bees to to produce wax. A hive has to consume

Now that you have transported your Nuc home, it is time to get it set up in that perfect location. The first step is to place the Nuc in the location it will be permanently. Open the entrance and let your little ladies get some air! You do not want leave them closed up as they can overheat. Let them settle down for at least a few hours after transportation, preferably overnight. After they have settled down you move them out of there temporary cardboard box into their final h