Leander's animal code regulates beehive placement, prohibiting a hive within 500 feet of any residence other than the owner's without the consent of all affected occupants. Hives are generally allowed on tracts of 3 acres or more. Texas regulates bee health and registration through the Agriculture Code and the Texas Apiary Inspection Service.
Leander addresses beekeeping within its Chapter 2 animal regulations rather than banning it outright. Under the city code, no person may construct, place, or maintain any beehive within 500 feet of any residence other than that of the owner, except with the consent of the occupants of all such residences. The code also frames beekeeping around larger parcels, with hives allowed on a tract or parcel of three acres or more. Because of the 500-foot separation requirement and acreage framing, practical hobby beekeeping in Leander is most feasible on larger lots or where neighbors consent. Beyond the city's placement rules, beekeeping in Texas is governed at the state level: the Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 131 covers bees and honey production, and the Texas Apiary Inspection Service (TAIS) administers beekeeping regulations under Title 4 of the Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 71. The Texas State Law Library advises beekeepers to consult their local city ordinances in addition to state apiary rules, which is exactly where Leander's 500-foot and acreage provisions apply.
Placing or maintaining a beehive within 500 feet of a neighbor's residence without the required consent is a code violation subject to citation and an order to remove or relocate the hive. State apiary registration and disease-control requirements are enforced separately by the Texas Apiary Inspection Service.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Leander actively favors native and drought-tolerant landscaping. The city's Site Standards require new plantings to be drought-tolerant and native to Texas a...
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