The Buzz in Texas: Discover Why We’re a Top State for Beekeeping!

Bees are one of the most important creatures in our ecosystem. Bees are the pollen transporters and are vital for keeping plants and flowers alive. If The Bee Movie taught us anything, without bees, our world would not survive.

It seems that interest in beekeeping has grown tremendously over the last decade. More and More people are turning to the way of the bee.

If you have been in the Texas Panhandle and driven 4th Avenue in Canyon near I-27 over the last 10 years, you might have noticed a bunch of white boxes sitting behind the trees and bushes on the north side of the road. It was a few bee hives hiding out there for a bee enthusiast. Now in that same area is a whole business called Creek House Honey Farm where they bee keep and make all sorts of amazing products out of honey. Beekeeping isn't just a hobby anymore it is a way of life.

Many people keep bees in their backyard.

All over Texas, you can find beekeeping associations and Texas even has a main association with over 1300 members, and 56 groups throughout the state. There are over 300 commercial beekeeping operations in the state according to Texas Beekeeping 101. In 2022, Texas had 8,939 beekeeping operations.

It is no surprise that Texas ranks among the top states for beekeeping.

A recent study conducted by Lawn Love found Texas is #4 in the country for Beekeeping.

Texas Rank in the Key Metrics

Honey-Producing Colonies (thousands) - 6th
Maximum Number of Colonies - 3rd
Number of Apiculture Establishments - 3rd
Pollinator-friendly policies - 1st

California topped the list at #1.

Thousands of Bees Delay a Houston Flight, Funny Lady Live Tweets it All

Here's something you don't see every day. A swarm of bees delayed a flight out of Houston, TX yesterday after inexplicably congregating on the tip of an airplane wing. And thanks to Anjali Enjeti and Twitter, we got a front row seat.

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5 Nasty Bees and Wasps That May Be Waiting to Sting You

According to the United States Forest Service, these are five of the most common stinging insects in our area. We grabbed their pictures, along with pictures of their nests, to help you identify what you found on your property.

Gallery Credit: Michelle Heart

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Honey Bees

While many of us will call anything that’s black or brown, striped with yellow and orange and has a stinger a “bee,” not every stinging insect is actually a bee. Bees are usually rounder than wasps and have hair on their bodies. According to Idaho Fish and Game, there are 707 native species of bees in the state. Honey bees aren’t one of them, but they became common after settlers in the 17th century decided to introduce them to our ecosystem.

Orkin explains, honey bees tend to sting if they’re trying to defend themselves or their colony. The last thing they want to do is sting you because when they do, their stinger, venom sac and other body parts are ripped out. That kills them and releases an alert to other bees that the colony is in danger. Honey bee stings are super painful, to begin with and they can get worse the longer the stinger stays in because that sac is going to keep pumping venom into you.

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Honey Bee Nest

So how do you know if the nest that appeared on your property is a honey bee nest? According to Terminix, honey bee nests are made of wax and can be made up of 100,000 hexagonal cells. Unlike depictions you’ve seen in storybooks, these nests are more likely to be in a hollow tree, rock crevice or inside a building’s wall than hanging from a tree branch.

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Mud Dauber

This whole article was inspired by what we’re pretty sure is a Mud Dauber nest built on the wall of our garage. After reading about these wasps, we’re torn over what to do with the nest. Mud Daubers are long, skinny wasps and according to Owhyee Environmental, they come in peace. They’re not aggressive (even if their nests are threatened) and love eating spiders, especially black widows.

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Mud Dauber Nest

As you can guess by their name, they build their nests out of mud. Those nests are usually tube-like and they tend to appear in protected places like garages, sheds and porch ceilings. Owhyee Environmental explains that they’ll stuff up to 30 spiders in each tube to feed their babies. If they’re going to sting, they’re most like to sting the spiders to paralyze them. We don’t like spiders, so we wouldn’t mind keeping this nest around if it meant less of them. However, the nests can get pretty out of control and pretty ugly looking.

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Paper Wasp

In writing this article, we have no idea what sort of wasps would get into our old apartment. We didn’t realize how similar Paper Wasps and Yellow Jackets look. According to Orkin, you can tell if it’s a Paper Wasp by its orange-tipped antennas, longer bodies and thinner wastes. Pestcom explains that their sting is less painful than honeybee stings and the discomfort can last anywhere from 10-60 minutes. They usually won’t sting you unless they’re provoked.

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Paper Wasp Nest

Their name comes from the way their nests are constructed. The United States Forest Service says that Paper Wasps use small wood and plant fibers, combined with saliva to build nests that look like big paper lanterns. They love building these places like grills, under decks, eaves of houses and other protected areas.

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Bald-Faced Hornet

Bald-Faced hornets are more wasps than hornets. They look similar to yellow jackets but have white markings instead of yellow. Orkin says they get protective of their nests and may attack in large numbers. Like yellow jackets that can sting over and over again without dying.

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Bald-Faced Hornet Nest

Unlike its cousin, bald-faced hornets build their nests above ground. The United States Forest Service says that treetops, attic rafters and other covered areas, like porch overhangs are popular choices.

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Yellow Jacket

Yellow Jackets look similar to Paper Wasps but are big jerks. Idaho Fish and Game explains that early in the season, they want to eat things like caterpillars, flies and spiders but when they start to get scarce, they’re attracted to meats and sugary foods. That’s why they insist on hovering around watermelon, cupcakes, burgers and hotdogs you’re enjoying by the pool. Orkin says you DO NOT want to upset Yellow Jackets as they're the most dangerous stinging insects in the country. They don’t die after stinging you and they can do it repeatedly.

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Yellow Jacket Nest

If you can spot a yellow jacket’s nest, you’ll notice that it has a single opening. We say if because most yellow jackets are ground nesters, so they’ll build them underground, in cracks in walls, hollow trees. They live in colonies and in some cases, those colonies can reach up to 100,000.