Across the country, there is a dramatic decline in the art of beekeeping. According to the Dallas Morning News, an estimated 60% to 70% of existing colonies are expected to be lost this year.
However, there is one area of the U.S. that’s continuously expanding its beekeeping operations and has become sort of a “mecca” for the practice.
Shannon LaGrave, Oak Cliff Bee Co.’s chief training officer and former Collin County Honey Queen and Texas Honey Princess, said, “Texas is a mecca for beekeeping. Texas in general but North Texas, especially.”
The number of beekeeping operations in Texas increased from 1,284 in 2007 to 8,939 in 2022. Texas went from having the sixth-most bee operations in the nation to having more than the bottom 21 states combined.
A law that passed in 2012 that made it possible for Texans to get property tax cuts if they’ve kept bees on their land for five years certainly helped the operation boom.
Oak Cliff Bee Co. founder and beekeeper Chris Chance told DMN that through “urban beekeeping,” by turning rooftops into ecosystems and sustainability into measurable value, he believes the company is reshaping how people see their role in the world.
“Hive by hive, we’re creating value, elevating sustainability and proving that local roots can drive powerful impact,” he said.
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