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Safely handling bees can help lower your property taxes as well as being a fun family activity and providing honey for your table.

Texas law allows bees and bee hives to qualify for reducing property taxes on plots ranging from 5 to 20 acres similar to livestock or raising hay.   Property taxes on small acreages can now be lowered by keeping bees on the property.  The bees do not have to be owned by the landowner.

Dennis Herbert drafted the original legislation for the current bee law that allows small acreage land owners to receive their agricultural valuation if they wish by raising bees on their property.  He shepherded this bill through the legislature in 2011 and it became law on January 1, 2012.  He has been a beekeeper in Bell County for 25 years.