Whether you are setting up your first hive or managing dozens of colonies, finding dependable honey bee supplies companies can make beekeeping considerably easier. Quality equipment affects everything from protecting yourself during inspections to managing Varroa mites, feeding colonies, harvesting honey, and preparing hives for winter.
The United States has numerous beekeeping suppliers, ranging from large national companies to smaller family-operated businesses. The following ten honey bee supplies companies are worth knowing if you need hive components, protective clothing, smokers, tools, extractors, feeders, treatments, live bees, or honey-processing equipment.
This list isn't intended as a strict ranking. Instead, it highlights established suppliers with useful product selections, industry experience, or specialties that make them valuable resources for beekeepers.
Buying tip: compare total delivered cost, not just the sticker price. Bulky woodenware ships expensively, so a slightly pricier supplier closer to you is sometimes the cheaper option overall.
1. Dadant & Sons
Few names in American beekeeping are as recognizable as Dadant & Sons. The company has been serving beekeepers since 1863 and has grown into one of America's major manufacturers and distributors of beekeeping equipment.
Dadant carries hive bodies, frames, foundation, smokers, protective clothing, feeders, queen-rearing equipment, honey extractors, bottling equipment, medications, pest-control products, books, and much more. The company also operates multiple branch locations around the United States.
- Corporate location: 51 S. 2nd Street, Hamilton, IL 62341
- Phone: 217-847-3324
- Toll-Free: 888-922-1293
- Website: dadant.com
For beekeepers looking for honey bee supplies companies with a long history and an extensive catalog, Dadant deserves consideration.
2. Mann Lake
Mann Lake is another major name in American beekeeping. Founded in 1983, the company has developed an enormous selection of equipment for hobbyists and commercial operations.
Its catalog includes complete hives, frames, foundation, protective equipment, feeders, pollen substitutes, medications, extracting equipment, bottling supplies, queen-rearing products, hive tools, live bees, and starter kits.
- Location: 501 1st Street South, Hackensack, MN 56452
- Phone: 800-880-7694
- Website: mannlakeltd.com
Mann Lake is particularly convenient when you want to purchase most of your equipment from a single supplier. The company says many of its core products are manufactured in the United States.
3. Betterbee
Betterbee has served beekeepers since 1979 and operates from Greenwich, New York. The company combines equipment sales with a strong emphasis on beekeeper education.
Products include hive equipment, protective clothing, feeders, treatments, extractors, bottling equipment, beeswax, candle-making supplies, books, and beginner equipment.
- Location: 8 Meader Road, Greenwich, NY 12834
- Phone: 800-632-3379
- Website: betterbee.com
Betterbee also operates a physical showroom and offers educational opportunities for beginning and intermediate beekeepers. Among established honey bee supplies companies, it is an especially useful resource for someone who wants educational information alongside equipment.
4. Blue Sky Bee Supply
Blue Sky Bee Supply is based in Ravenna, Ohio, and carries equipment for hobby and experienced beekeepers.
You can find common apiary necessities such as hive components, tools, protective gear, feeding equipment, honey-harvesting supplies, containers, and other accessories. Its Ohio warehouse also offers limited showroom hours and dockside pickup.
- Location: 930 N. Freedom Street, Ravenna, OH 44266
- Phone: 877-529-9233
- Email: info@blueskybeesupply.com
- Website: blueskybeesupply.com
Blue Sky is a useful company to compare with the larger national suppliers, particularly for beekeepers in Ohio and surrounding states.
5. Lappe's Bee Supply & Honey Farm
Lappe's Bee Supply and Honey Farm is located in East Peru, Iowa, southwest of Des Moines. The company serves both beginning and experienced beekeepers and offers equipment online as well as through its Iowa location.
Its inventory includes hive kits, woodenware, frames, foundation, protective equipment, tools, honey containers, extracting supplies and other beekeeping necessities.
- Location: 117 Florence Avenue, East Peru, IA 50222
- Phone: 641-728-4361
- Website: lappesbeesupply.com
Lappe's is particularly appealing to new beekeepers because of its emphasis on beginner hive kits and educational information.
6. Miller Bee Supply
Miller Bee Supply is a family-operated North Carolina business with roots going back decades. It is particularly well known for beekeeping woodenware.
The company sells hive equipment and components along with tools, smokers, extracting equipment, nutrition products, treatments, protective clothing, bottling equipment and beginner supplies.
- Location: 496 Yellow Banks Road, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
- Phone: 336-670-2249 or 888-848-5184
- Email: info@millerbeesupply.com
- Website: millerbeesupply.com
For beekeepers who appreciate traditional wooden hive equipment, Miller deserves a place on any list of honey bee supplies companies to investigate.
7. Mountain Sweet Honey Company
Mountain Sweet Honey Company in Toccoa, Georgia, combines beekeeping supplies with the sale and shipment of live honey bees.
The company offers hive bodies, frames, foundation, bottom boards, covers, beginner hive kits, tools, protective equipment, bee-health products and other apiary supplies. Its staff also provides beekeeping guidance to customers.
- Location: 758 Georgia Highway 184, Toccoa, GA 30577
- Phone: 706-886-1322
- Website: mountainsweethoney.com
Mountain Sweet is particularly interesting for new beekeepers who need both equipment and bees to establish their first colonies.
8. The Bee Supply
The Bee Supply operates Texas locations in Blue Ridge and Round Rock and sells a broad range of equipment for beginning and experienced beekeepers.
The company's inventory includes hive components, smokers, protective gear, feeders, bee-health products and numerous specialized tools. It also offers beekeeping classes and live-bee pickup opportunities.
- Blue Ridge: 14665 County Road 633, Blue Ridge, TX 75424
- Round Rock: 1205 Round Rock Ave., Suite 119, Round Rock, TX 78681
- Phone: 800-356-4229
- Website: thebeesupply.com
For beekeepers in Texas and the southern United States, The Bee Supply is another source worth comparing when shopping for equipment.
9. Pierco
Pierco is especially well known for plastic beekeeping components. The California company manufactures and sells equipment including frames and foundation while also carrying a broader selection of beekeeping essentials.
That specialization makes Pierco interesting for beekeepers who prefer durable plastic frame and foundation systems rather than assembling traditional wooden frames and inserting foundation separately.
- Location: 680 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501
- Phone: 800-233-2662
- Email: info@pierco.com
- Website: pierco.com
Pierco can be a valuable alternative when comparing equipment designs among different honey bee supplies companies.
10. Western Bee Supplies
Western Bee Supplies is based in Polson, Montana, and has long served beekeepers in the western United States.
The company is known as a source for hive equipment and woodenware and is worth investigating when comparing prices and shipping options, particularly for beekeepers in the Mountain West and western states.
- Location: 5 9th Avenue E., Polson, MT 59860
- Phone: 833-533-1014
- Website: westernbee.com
Western Bee gives beekeepers another option beyond the largest national suppliers and rounds out our list of notable honey bee supplies companies.
How to Choose a Honey Bee Supply Company
Don't automatically purchase everything from the first supplier you find. When comparing honey bee supplies companies, consider the total delivered cost rather than simply the advertised price of an individual product.
Hive bodies, supers and other wooden components can be expensive to ship because of their size. A slightly more expensive supplier located closer to you may ultimately cost less after freight charges.
Product compatibility is equally important. Decide whether you are using 8-frame or 10-frame equipment and whether your brood boxes and honey supers will be deep, medium or shallow. Standardizing your equipment makes future expansion considerably easier.
For live bees, queens and nucs, availability is seasonal and shipping or pickup requirements can differ substantially from ordinary equipment orders. Order early and confirm the supplier's current policies before purchasing.
Final Thoughts on Honey Bee Supplies Companies
Beekeeping becomes much easier when you have dependable suppliers behind you. Dadant, Mann Lake, Betterbee, Blue Sky Bee Supply, Lappe's Bee Supply, Miller Bee Supply, Mountain Sweet Honey Company, The Bee Supply, Pierco and Western Bee Supplies give American beekeepers a wide range of choices.
There isn't necessarily one supplier that's ideal for every beekeeper. One company may have the best price on woodenware while another has the extractor, protective suit, feeder or treatment you prefer. Shipping costs can also make location an important factor.
Bookmark several honey bee supplies companies rather than relying exclusively on one. Compare prices, shipping charges, availability and equipment specifications before placing large orders.
Most importantly, buy equipment that fits your management style and standardize your hive components whenever possible. The right equipment won't replace good beekeeping—but reliable tools and dependable honey bee supplies companies can make managing healthy, productive colonies considerably easier.