Managed Bee Yard
A bee yard for five to twenty acres.
Between five and twenty acres, bees can carry an agricultural valuation on ground too small for cattle or hay.
I build the yard, keep the bees, and bring the harvest to you.
Or call or text (512) 298-1526. Text is fastest.
Rather own and operate the yard yourself, with a mentor? I do that too. See the Starter Apiary.
How it works
- You request a site visit. It's free, and so is the native plant guide I write for your address.
- I look over your place. Water, forage, access, and a spot for the hives away from where people and animals spend their days.
- You get a written plan and an itemized quote. Take your time with it. I'm glad to go over any line.
- I build your hives over the winter. Insulated Layens hives and stands, made in my shop.
- The yard goes in come spring. March through May, with the bees.
- I keep the bees from then on. Three visits a year, a harvest day on your land, and your records by January 1.
What you get
- Hives built by hand in my shop. Six or more insulated Layens hives on stands, set where they'll do well. I own and manage the bees and the equipment.
- Three visits a year, and more when the bees need it, at no extra charge. I bring veils and suits for up to three guests who want to look in with me.
- Twenty percent of the honey. I extract it on your land and put your place's name on the bottle.
- Replacement colonies at my cost. If a colony is lost to winter, disease or absconding, I replace it.
- A records packet by January 1: colony counts, dated photographs and receipts, plus whatever your appraisal district asks for.
How the investment works
I build each bee yard with a one-time investment up front, then charge one flat yearly management fee. The investment pays for the bees, the hives and stands I build in my shop, and the setup in spring. The yearly fee covers the beekeeping, your records, replacement colonies and your share of the honey. It stays the same whether the yard holds seven hives or twelve.
You'll get exact numbers in a written, itemized quote after the site visit. On many places, the tax savings repay the investment within a few years and keep paying after that. To see what bees could do for your tax bill, run your own numbers.
Why I build yards instead of renting out hives
Some beekeepers rent out hives from a pool they already own. It costs less to start, and if all you need is the paperwork, it can do the job. The good ones usually have a waitlist.
I build every yard new, for one piece of land:
- No waitlist. Your hives are built for you and go in the spring after you sign.
- Your bees stay put. They live on your land year-round. I don't truck them from farm to farm.
- Honey from your own ground, bottled with your place's name on it.
- The same beekeeper at every visit, for as long as the yard is there.
If the upfront investment is what gives you pause, say so. We'll go through the numbers together, and there may be more than one way to get there.
Why Layens hives
A Layens hive is one long, horizontal box of deep frames standing side by side, instead of boxes stacked on top of each other. I build mine because I want the equipment to last, and because I want the hives insulated against a hot Texas summer.
I open them only a few times a year, so the brood nest and the bees are disturbed as little as possible. Every time a hive is opened, the colony pays for it: lost heat, a crushed bee, a rattled queen. Opening less is how one beekeeper can keep yards across Central Texas and still do right by each colony.
The honey
Everyone's honey tastes different, and yours will too. It will taste like your place during the season it was made, and like a vintage of wine, every year has its own story. Harvest day happens on your ground. I bring the extractor, you invite whoever you like, and we'll celebrate the harvest together.
Most colonies make little or no surplus honey their first year. After that, some years there's plenty, and in dry years there's only enough to keep the bees alive through winter, so I leave it with them. I feed new colonies to get them started, but I don't feed established hives sugar water or treat for mites. It's a rough road to walk, but my bees can claim they survived natural selection, and our genetics are stronger for it.
Is a bee yard a good fit for your land?
- Is it five to twenty acres? Bees can qualify land in that range and no other.
- Have five of the last seven years been in documented agricultural use? Land that hasn't been in ag use has to build that history first.
- Will bees be the main use of that ground? Cattle or horses on the same acres can count against it, so you'll likely have to pick one.
- What does your appraisal district require? Each county sets its own hive standard, not the state and not me. I'm not a tax advisor, and I don't file your paperwork. Know your local rules.
The long version, with each county's hive standard and the statute, is in the bee "ag exemption" guide.
What I ask of you
- Water on the place all year: a pond, trough or creek that doesn't dry up.
- A way to drive within twenty yards of the hives.
- Room for a couple of swarm traps and a game camera near the yard.
- A week's notice before anyone sprays, clears brush with chemicals or burns.
- Reasonable care that the hives aren't stolen, vandalized or knocked over by livestock.
What I won't promise
I'm not a tax advisor, and I don't file. Your appraisal district sets the standard and decides whether your land qualifies.
I can't promise a harvest. Drought, dearth and swarms are real, and I'd rather underpromise and overdeliver.
Bees sting, and a little defensiveness is healthy. I site every yard so the bees and the people have room to stay out of each other's way.
Questions people ask me
- Do you lease hives?
- Not the usual way. I don't rent out hives from a pool I already own. I build a yard for your land with a one-time investment, then keep it for one flat yearly fee. You get a beekeeper who's there for years, honey with your place's name on it, and no waitlist.
- Could I keep the bees myself instead?
- Yes. With a Starter Apiary, I build and install a yard you own, then mentor you for two years.
- Do I need to be home for visits?
- No. I'll give you notice before each visit, and you and your family are always welcome to come out, look in or help.
- What if I sell the land?
- Tell me before you transfer it; the agreement asks for that. A new owner generally has to apply for the agricultural valuation again, and I'd talk with them about whether the yard stays. If you end the agreement, I'll remove the hives within a year.
- Are bees a problem around horses, dogs or children?
- Bees sting, and I won't pretend otherwise. I set the yard away from pens, paths and play areas, with the entrances facing away from where people walk, and I'd rather move a yard than leave it where it causes trouble. If anyone in the house reacts badly to stings, tell me before we go further. Livestock on the same acres can also count against the valuation, so ask your district.
- What if my county wants more hives?
- Tell me what your district requires. When the ground can carry them, I can add hives. We'll want to know that up front.
- What if a colony dies?
- I replace any colony lost to winter, disease or absconding, at my cost.
- Can I sell the honey?
- Not as raw honey. That would compete with one of the ways I make this arrangement work. You can make things from it, like mead, soap or lotion, and sell those. You can also trade part of your share for credit on the yearly fee, valued at the farmers market booth price.
- Can my share of the honey grow?
- It can. Plant nectar trees from my native planting list, and in a strong year your share of the honey above four gallons a hive rises in steps, up to 60 percent. The agreement spells it out.
- Do you remove bees from houses or trees?
- Not anymore. If it's a big ball of bees on a tree limb and I'm in town, how can I resist? But these days my swarm traps do most of that work for me.
Other ways I can help
- Rather own and operate the yard yourself, with a mentor? I do that too. See the Starter Apiary
- More than twenty acres? A pollinator habitat plan may suit the rest of the place. See habitat plans
- Want the yard to be a showpiece? I build fenced, planted yards for venues and private places. See the venue yard
Let's take a look at your place.
Sound like a good fit? Tell me a little about your land.
The visit is free. If your place isn't a fit, I'll tell you why and what might work instead, and you'll still get a native plant guide written for your address.