Minimum active hives: 6on the first 5
qualifying acres

2020 guidelines

Qualifying bee acreage: 5–20 acres

Land used for qualifying beekeeping, with the approved acreage shown separately.

Time on the property: 7 months

Active colonies on the property.

A “bee exemption” is usually 1-d-1 open-space agricultural appraisal of qualifying land. Your records support the actual beekeeping taking place there.

The local hive schedule

Qualifying acreage.
Active colonies.

One additional hive for each additional 2.5 acres.

The table shows whole-step examples. Keep the actual qualifying acreage in your records.

Gillespie County acreage and active-hive schedule
Qualifying acres (examples)	Active hives
5	6
7.5	7
10	8
12.5	9
15	10
17.5	11
20	12

Beyond the hive count

What Gillespie wants to see.

Time on the property: 7 months

Keep movement dates beside active-colony counts.

At 20 qualifying acres: 12 colonies

The guide gives this upper-acreage example explicitly.

Count active colonies and the months they stay.

Gillespie's published standards start at six colonies on five qualifying acres, with another hive for each additional 2.5 acres. A 20-acre bee operation needs at least 12 colonies, and the hives must be active on the property for at least seven months of the year.¹²

For an existing exemption, keep a dated record of colony counts and any movement on or off the property. If a beekeeper manages your apiary, ask for service notes that identify your land and the dates the colonies were there. Those notes connect the hive count to Gillespie's time requirement.

Keep with the year’s records

Records for your Gillespie property

Dated colony counts and hive locations
Arrival and departure dates for colonies
Beekeeper inspection and service notes

Visit the appraisal district

Records and reporting support

Already have your bee exemption?

We help organize your beekeeping records and prepare county-requested documentation for $99 a year. Tell us about your Gillespie County property to get started.

Get started now$99/year · Support by email

A few Gillespie County questions.

How many hives does Gillespie require on 20 acres?

At least 12 under its published beekeeping standards.

Can my beekeeper’s records be part of the packet?

Yes. Keep dated service notes that identify your Gillespie County property, the active-colony count, and the work completed. Add the relevant agreement or lease.