Houston has no city-specific beekeeping ban. The Texas Apiary Inspection Service (TAIS) regulates bees at the state level under Agriculture Code Chapter 131. Deed restrictions and HOAs may impose local limits.
Houston does not have a city-specific ordinance banning or extensively regulating residential beekeeping. The Texas Apiary Inspection Service (TAIS), part of Texas A&M AgriLife, is the state agency that regulates bees under Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 131. TAIS monitors for Africanized honey bees and bee diseases. Beekeepers should register hives with TAIS. There are no state-level restrictions on the number of hives. Deed restrictions and HOA rules in many Houston neighborhoods may prohibit or limit beekeeping. General nuisance ordinances under Chapter 6 may apply if hives create a disturbance. Best practices include maintaining hives away from property lines and providing a water source to prevent bees from visiting neighbors' pools or properties.
No specific city penalties for beekeeping. General nuisance violations may apply if bees create a public disturbance. TAIS may order hive removal for Africanized bee colonies.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Harris County.
See how other cities in Harris County handle beekeeping.
See how Houston's beekeeping rules stack up against other locations.
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