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FYI: Masonry Bees for Ag Exemption

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    FYI: Masonry Bees for Ag Exemption

    Im sure most of you are aware that you can get an ag exemption on 5 to 20 acres for honey bees. State law says Beekeeping is an agricultural use and shall qualify for agricultural productivity valuation if used for pollination OR for the production of human food or other tangible products having a commercial value. (Section 23.51 (2) Texas Property Tax Code)

    Very few people know that masonry bees can be kept to meet the ag exemption pollination requirement. Masonry bees do still require some work but are way simpler than honey bees. Their numbers are much lower but they are much more efficient pollinators than honey bees too. I originally contacted one of those honey bee keeper guys that wanted to charge me $1500 a year to keep his bees on my property and he would get to keep the honey too. Seemed borderline scammish so I started digging and came up with my current plan.

    Many of the CADs have not dealt with this yet and may be hesitant to accept it but the state law is what it is. I was the first person in my county to get the go ahead. If you run in to any problems trying to do this I suggest contacting Plateau Land & Wildlife Management. They wont help you with the actual bee keeping end of things but they are use to dealing with the CADs and already have a good relationship with many of them.

    Along similar lines, don't let a county CAD tell you that you don't have enough acreage for a wildlife exemption. State law only requires that the property have been under an ag exemption the year before and not have been subdivided in the prior year. My example on this one was 10.6 acres that was under an ag exemption. Burleson CAD told me absolutely NO can not move to a wildlife exemption because their internal rule is 15 acres minimum. I contacted Plateau Land & Wildlife, they contacted the CAD, and the property is now under a wildlife exemption. It's such a large problem that Texas Parks And Wildlife created a position that's main roll is to help the CADs understand what is required for wildlife exemptions per state law.

    Hopefully this helps someone.
    Last edited by toledo; 11-22-2019, 02:13 PM.

    #2
    Originally posted by toledo View Post
    Im sure most of you are aware that you can get an ag exemption on 5 to 20 acres for honey bees. State law says Beekeeping is an agricultural use and shall qualify for agricultural productivity valuation if used for pollination OR for the production of human food or other tangible products having a commercial value. (Section 23.51 (2) Texas Property Tax Code)

    Very few people know that masonry bees can be kept to meet the ag exemption pollination requirement. Masonry bees do still require some work but are way simpler than honey bees. Their numbers are much lower but they are much more efficient pollinators than honey bees too. I originally contacted one of those honey bee keeper guys that wanted to charge me $1500 a year to keep his bees on my property and he would get to keep the honey too. Seemed borderline scammish so I started digging and came up with my current plan.

    Many of the CADs have not dealt with this yet and may be hesitant to accept it but the state law is what it is. I was the first person in my county to get the go ahead. If you run in to any problems trying to do this I suggest contacting Plateau Land & Wildlife Management. They wont help you with the actual bee keeping end of things but they are use to dealing with the CADs and already have a good relationship with many of them.

    Along similar lines, don't let a county CAD tell you that you don't have enough acreage for a wildlife exemption. State law only requires that the property have been under an ag exemption the year before and not have been subdivided in the prior year. My example was 10.6 acres that was under an ag exemption. Burleson CAD told me absolutely NO can not move to a wildlife exemption because their internal rule is 15 acres minimum. I contacted Plateau Land & Wildlife, they contacted the CAD, and the property is now under a wildlife exemption. It's such a large problem that Texas Parks And Wildlife created a position that's main roll is to help the CADs understand what is required for wildlife exemptions per state law.

    Hopefully this helps someone.
    the only acreage limits I know of are with the bees themself (max of 20 ac.)
    and other limits on ag exemptions. Like you said, once you have the ag, then just swing it over to the wildlife exemption the next year. Is what we're planning on.

    Comment


      #3
      Didn't know about the Wildlife Exemption. We started with honey bees this year.
      Good info.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by toledo View Post
        Im sure most of you are aware that you can get an ag exemption on 5 to 20 acres for honey bees. State law says Beekeeping is an agricultural use and shall qualify for agricultural productivity valuation if used for pollination OR for the production of human food or other tangible products having a commercial value. (Section 23.51 (2) Texas Property Tax Code)

        Very few people know that masonry bees can be kept to meet the ag exemption pollination requirement. Masonry bees do still require some work but are way simpler than honey bees. Their numbers are much lower but they are much more efficient pollinators than honey bees too. I originally contacted one of those honey bee keeper guys that wanted to charge me $1500 a year to keep his bees on my property and he would get to keep the honey too. Seemed borderline scammish so I started digging and came up with my current plan.

        Many of the CADs have not dealt with this yet and may be hesitant to accept it but the state law is what it is. I was the first person in my county to get the go ahead. If you run in to any problems trying to do this I suggest contacting Plateau Land & Wildlife Management. They wont help you with the actual bee keeping end of things but they are use to dealing with the CADs and already have a good relationship with many of them.

        Along similar lines, don't let a county CAD tell you that you don't have enough acreage for a wildlife exemption. State law only requires that the property have been under an ag exemption the year before and not have been subdivided in the prior year. My example on this one was 10.6 acres that was under an ag exemption. Burleson CAD told me absolutely NO can not move to a wildlife exemption because their internal rule is 15 acres minimum. I contacted Plateau Land & Wildlife, they contacted the CAD, and the property is now under a wildlife exemption. It's such a large problem that Texas Parks And Wildlife created a position that's main roll is to help the CADs understand what is required for wildlife exemptions per state law.

        Hopefully this helps someone.
        I investigated this route and some ag appraisers have gotten savvy on Mason Bees and are requiring mason bee houses of a certain size & dimension to count as a "hive" even though a mason bee is a solitary creature. They do require some work and yearly cleaning of the nests...unfortunately I was not able to get them to return to the nests once they hatched and didn't want to keep ordering mason bee tubes with eggs.

        FYI, if you want more info on Mason bees I highly recommend The Orchard Mason Bee by Griffin
        Last edited by JonBoy; 11-22-2019, 02:34 PM.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by JonBoy View Post
          have gotten savvy on Mason Bees and are requiring mason bee houses of a certain size & dimension to count as a "hive" even though a mason bee is a solitary creature. They do require some work and yearly cleaning of the nests...unfortunately I was not able to get them to return to the nests once they hatched and didn't want to keep ordering mason bee tubes with eggs.
          [/B]
          Thanks. I plan to go with the planks that can be stacked so if they end up adding a size requirement I can change as needed. Any idea what your issue was? Flowers or mud?

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by toledo View Post
            Thanks. I plan to go with the planks that can be stacked so if they end up adding a size requirement I can change as needed. Any idea what your issue was? Flowers or mud?
            Probably a combo of both

            Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

            Comment


              #7
              What is required to get a wildlife exemption and what does a wildlife exemption amount to or benefits?

              Comment


                #8
                Dang I only have 4.87 acres that we just have and plan on doing nothing with. I thought about honey bees at one time.


                Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                Comment


                  #9
                  Man...I’ve heard so many stories of beekeepers charging for placing their equipment and bees on property. I guess we got really lucky with our beekeeper. He placed 9 hives on my 10 acres In Kaufman County free. He does all the upkeep and we get a gallon of honey a year and the Ag exemption. Easy peasy!!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by RascalArms View Post
                    Man...I’ve heard so many stories of beekeepers charging for placing their equipment and bees on property. I guess we got really lucky with our beekeeper. He placed 9 hives on my 10 acres In Kaufman County free. He does all the upkeep and we get a gallon of honey a year and the Ag exemption. Easy peasy!!
                    Don't you have to show a profit from the property for Ag exemption? I guess I don't follow how you would have to pay the bee keepers to use your property or they do it for free. I thought of it more like leasing out grazing rights but I guess I had it backwards.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by RifleBowPistol View Post
                      What is required to get a wildlife exemption and what does a wildlife exemption amount to or benefits?
                      In my county you must apply for the exemption through the county, and provide water, feed and predator control for 5 consecutive years, and yes they will come and look. On your 6th year you will obtain wildlife exemption and the property tax will be the same as Ag exempt.

                      If you have an Ag exemption on your current property you can apply for wildlife exemption and the county will change it for the following year.

                      Predator control can be controlling fire ants, cutting down hackberries, killing pigs, and killing coyotes. Per my biologist.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by droebuck View Post
                        Don't you have to show a profit from the property for Ag exemption? I guess I don't follow how you would have to pay the bee keepers to use your property or they do it for free. I thought of it more like leasing out grazing rights but I guess I had it backwards.
                        Nope, the only thing I’m contributing is to the pollination...and thereby receive the ag exemption.
                        Again, we got lucky apparently as I found the right beekeeper...that didn’t charge me for his services. I’m not exactly sure of the stipulations but I think the beekeeper just has to be registered with the county and certified by the Texas Apiary Inspection Service. My guy is president of the Northeast Texas Bee Association. He is the benefactor in terms of profits from the honey production. Our agreement is, he maintains at least 9 hives on my property and I receive a gallon of honey a year....and of course the ag exemption.
                        There are CAD requirements that are different by county. My property had a current history of agricultural use in hay production and so became immediately eligible to move to the beekeeping exemption. It’s my understanding that if the property is not kept current under an ag exempt, you will be required to build a 5 year history of ag use before it qualifies the 6th year.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by RascalArms View Post
                          Man...I’ve heard so many stories of beekeepers charging for placing their equipment and bees on property. I guess we got really lucky with our beekeeper. He placed 9 hives on my 10 acres In Kaufman County free. He does all the upkeep and we get a gallon of honey a year and the Ag exemption. Easy peasy!!
                          Is not the case here ... no way I would PAY someone else to put their bees on my land, I think its the other way around. I'm paying taxes on the land, they should be paying me for the privilege of helping make their honey, multiplying their bee numbers, etc. They're going to turn right around and sell the honey and propolis for major profit.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by tdwinklr View Post
                            Is not the case here ... no way I would PAY someone else to put their bees on my land, I think its the other way around. I'm paying taxes on the land, they should be paying me for the privilege of helping make their honey, multiplying their bee numbers, etc. They're going to turn right around and sell the honey and propolis for major profit.
                            I agree but I think it’s gaining popularity now with more and more people moving to the pollination route. I know my guy says he can’t take on any more properties as he’s too busy maintaining what he has. Supply and demand I guess??

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Thanks for sharing OP. To me, the most concerning thing about the ag/wildlife valuation is the precarious nature of needing a local tax man to approve your work as qualifying. It's good to know companies like you mentioned exist and tpwd has a hired hand to make sure the LAW is administered correctly.

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