Texas is Leading the Bee-Saving Mission Thanks to This Bill

If you are mindful about our environment in Texas, then you are likely familiar with the need to support bees and keep their population from dwindling.

Bees are a vital part of our ecosystem with their primary function being pollinators for native plants. They go from flower to flower, gathering pollen and passing it along so more plants can grow and thrive.

Unfortunately, their population has been suffering over the years, but Texas has been taking a stand to save them.

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In 2012, a new Texas law known as the 'Bee Bill' made it possible for people with at least five acres of land to get a tax break if they keep bees on their property. This caused a ripple of folks to start beekeeping with an increase of beekeepers from 1,851 in 2012, when the policy took effect, to 8,939 by 2022.

That number was more than the bottom 21 states combined.

Although the bee population is still fragile, with 30 to 45% of bee colonies dying on average across the USA, more beekeeping operations mean more bees in general.

There are still flaws in the system, as the increased interest in beekeeping leads many novices to start the hobby without proper education on how to best case for their hives. This can also lead to overpopulation in some areas with too many bees and not enough food sources for them.

However, the overall increase in beekeeping has been beneficial.

If you are interested in keeping bees, you have to keep in mind that it is not an easy hobby. Be sure to do your research and reach out to professionals to make sure you are doing yourself and the bees justice.