The honey bee, Apis mellifera (Apidae), is an extensively studied pollinator worldwide because of its importance to humans as a supplier of resources such as honey, propolis, wax, and pollen and as an important crop pollinator. Since its introduction to the Americas and Mexico in the seventeenth century, beekeeping has become a significant livestock activity. Beekeeping has adapted to a wide variety of climatic, ecosystem, and landscape environments, which influence honey bee interactions with plants. However, beekeeping in Mexico lacks up-to-date databases with management-related information that is needed to inform policymakers. This study explores the environmental and social factors that determine the presence of beekeeping in the region of the Gulf of Mexico. Our study found that beekeeping is predominantly conducted for commercial objectives. We observed that abiotic variables influenced beekeeping activity. A higher number of colonies were found at higher elevations and in sites experiencing lower mean annual precipitation. Moreover, beekeeping is predominantly situated within human-altered landscapes, such as areas around human settlements, agricultural zones, and cultivated grasslands. Additionally, areas with higher social development in terms of income, education, and health showed more intensive beekeeping characterized by either a greater number of colonies or an increased number of colonies per apiary. Our study underscores some of the dynamics of beekeeping in the Gulf of Mexico region, which are shaped by the interplay of environmental and social factors. The findings of this study can be used for decision-making to improve beekeeping in the region.