Choosing a Location for your Bees

Now that you are going to become a beekeeper you need to choose a spot for your bees! The location is important, and can be a determining factor as to the success of your hive.

Bees thrive best in an area that is well drained and dry, in full or partial sun (a bit of afternoon shade is fine) and with some sort of northern wind block. You do not want your bees in a damp shaded area. Such locations will attract pests such a small hive beetles and wax moths. You also want the hives on a relatively flat surface to prevent them from tipping over.

Bee hives can be kept on rooftops, in backyards, and the back porch! It is fine to place bees on concrete, gravel, or on the ground. However, It is always best for you hives to be on some sort of stand. Doing so will help keep pests out of the hive and extend the life of the woodenware. A pallet or a few cinder blocks will suffice as some sort of stand. Remember when you choose a stand, it is helpful (on the back) to get something that is high enough off the ground to prevent you from constantly stooping over to inspect the hive. That said, you also don't want it to high that it becomes unstable as you add more boxes to it.

Need bees this spring?

We raise our nucs in Greenville and place them across North Texas, the Hill Country, and the Houston area. Local genetics, already laying, ready to go into your equipment.

See available nucs →

Buying bees for an ag exemption?

If you own between 5 and 20 acres in Texas, honey bees can qualify your land for agricultural valuation. Most counties want 6 hives on the first 5 acres and one more for every additional 2.5 — but every appraisal district sets its own standard, and getting the number wrong can cost you the valuation.

We verify the requirements for all 43 counties we serve directly with each appraisal district.

Find your county's hive requirement →

Timber Creek Bees manages 2,193 hives across 285 Texas properties.