What Apiculture.net does

Apiculture.net is a French online and physical retailer of beekeeping equipment and supplies, serving both amateur hobbyist beekeepers and professional apiculturists. Operated by Guillaume Lombard as the third generation of a beekeeping family dating to 1929 in Cheval-Blanc, the business combines an e-commerce storefront (apiculture.net) with three physical retail locations in Agen, Le Puy-en-Velay, and Cavaillon, offering over 4,000 product references spanning the full beekeeping workflow: hives (Dadant, Langstroth, Voirnot, Warré, and Nicot plastic formats), protective clothing (including the proprietary Air'3D ventilated line), frames and embossed wax, queen rearing equipment, bee feeding and health products, smokers, honey extraction and processing machinery (miellerie), and honey packaging. The catalog is rounded out with adjacent categories such as candle-making molds, books, and bee-themed gifts.

The company does not develop proprietary technology beyond a standard e-commerce platform with no public API, no integrations, and no documented AI or ML capabilities. It curates and resells third-party products, with distribution handled via GLS (24–48h) and carrier shipping (3–5 days) and click-and-collect at the Luberon Apiculture store. Marketing is content-led: a blog, a beginner's guide, email newsletter, and Facebook presence support organic SEO acquisition, and the site has accumulated 60,662 Ekomi-verified customer reviews at a 4.49/5 rating.

Revenue is generated through one-time product sales with unit-based pricing ranging from a few euros for accessories to several hundred euros for professional extractors and complete kits. A loyalty program rewards repeat purchases with progressive discounts, and promotional mechanics (e.g., free gift in cart above €99) drive basket size. The company is privately held, family/founder-owned, has 11–50 employees, and operates exclusively in France with no disclosed funding, M&A, or international expansion.

Name

Apiculture.net

Legal name

Apiculture.net

Website

https://apiculture.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Apiculture.net is a French e-commerce and three-store retailer of beekeeping equipment and supplies, serving amateur and professional beekeepers with over 4,000 SKUs spanning hives, protective clothing, queen rearing, and honey processing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beekeeping Equipment Retail

NAICS

Apiculture (11291)

akta.pro primary industry

Beekeeping Equipment Manufacturing & Supply (Hives, Frames, Tools, PPE) (AFAEAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Honey Packaging, Bottling & Private Labeling (AFAEAHAL), Bee Health Management & Treatments (Mite/Disease Control Products & Services) (AFAEAHAK)

Keywords

• Beekeeping equipment
• Hive supplies
• Honey extraction gear
• Beekeeper protective clothing
• Queen rearing tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheval-blanc

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Beekeeping Equipment: Apiculture.net generates revenue through the sale of beekeeping equipment and supplies via their e-commerce platform and 3 physical stores in France. Products include hives, protective clothing, honey extraction equipment, beekeeping tools, bee feed, medications, packaging for honey, and related accessories. The company sells to both amateur hobbyist beekeepers and professional apiculturists.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Apiculture.net is an online and in-store retailer selling a curated catalog of over 4,000 beekeeping equipment products for both amateur hobbyist and professional beekeepers. The offering spans hives and hive components (Dadant, Langstroth, Voirnot, Warré wood and Nicot plastic formats), protective clothing including the proprietary Gamme Air'3D ventilated line, frames and embossed beeswax, queen rearing tools, smokers, honey extraction and processing equipment (extractors, maturators, filters), honey packaging (jars, lids, labels), bee feeding and pest treatment products, candle wax molds, beekeeping books, and a bundled Kit Débutant Apiculture starter kit. The company also sells complementary honey-derived products (honey, royal jelly, cosmetics, jewelry) under its Autour du miel category.

Product overview

Apiculture.net is an online beekeeping equipment retailer offering a comprehensive catalog of over 4,000 products for both amateur and professional beekeepers. The product portfolio centers on hive equipment (ruches in various formats: Dadant, Langstroth, Warré, Voirnot in wood or Nicot plastic), complemented by beekeeper protective clothing including the specialized Gamme Air'3D ventilated line. The offering extends through the complete beekeeping workflow: Cadres et cire gaufrée (frames and embossed wax), equipment for Elevage des reines (queen rearing), Nourrissement et soins (feeding and health products), Enfumoirs (smokers), and Matériel de miellerie (honey processing equipment including extractors, maturators, and filters). Additional categories include Emballage miel (honey packaging: jars, lids, labels), Moules à cire et mèches (wax molds for candles), and a selection of beekeeping books. The Kit Débutant Apiculture starter kit bundles essential equipment for newcomers. The company also sells Autour du miel products (honey, royal jelly, cosmetics, jewelry) and serves professional beekeepers with dedicated equipment. Physical retail presence complements the online store through three store locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hives and Hive Components (Ruches et éléments de ruche) Complete hives and individual hive components including bodies, supers, frames, floors, covers, and roofs offered in Dadant, Langstroth, Voirnot, and Warré formats in wood and plastic (Nicot) materials. Targeted at both amateur and professional beekeepers across France.
• Beekeeper Protective Clothing (Vêtements d'apiculteur) Full range of beekeeper protective wear including combinations, jackets, veils, hats, and gloves designed to protect against bee stings while maintaining comfort and mobility. Targeted at amateur and professional beekeepers across France.
• Gamme Air'3D Ventilated Beekeeper Clothing Line Branded ventilated beekeeper clothing line including combinations and jackets designed for summer use, providing full protection against stings while reducing heat buildup. Targeted at beekeepers working in warm conditions.
• Hive Frames and Embossed Beeswax (Cadres et cire gaufrée) Hive frames and embossed beeswax sheets for Dadant and Langstroth hive formats, used as foundations for bees to build honeycomb. Targeted at amateur and professional beekeepers.
• Honey Processing Equipment (Matériel de miellerie) Complete honey processing equipment including uncapping tools, manual and electric honey extractors, presses, maturators, filters, and bottling equipment for both amateur and professional beekeepers setting up a miellerie (honey processing facility).
• Honey Packaging (Emballage miel) Honey packaging solutions including plastic and glass jars in various sizes (250g to 1kg), lids, caps, labels, and labeling machines for retail sale of honey. Targeted at hobbyist and commercial honey producers.
• Bee Feeding and Health Products (Nourrissement et soins) Bee feeding solutions including syrup, candy, complementary feeds, and feeders for maintaining hive health, alongside treatments for varroa mites and other pests. Targeted at amateur and professional beekeepers managing hive nutrition and disease.
• Queen Rearing Equipment (Élevage des reines) Queen rearing equipment including picking tools, marking tools, insemination equipment, incubators, and queen introduction cages for breeding and managing queen bees. Targeted at hobbyist queen breeders and commercial queen rearing operations.
• Bee Smokers and Fuel (Enfumoirs et combustible) Bee smokers and combustible materials used to calm bees during hive inspections. Includes various smoker models and fuel products. Targeted at amateur and professional beekeepers performing hive inspections.
• Professional Beekeeping Equipment (Matériel professionnel apicole) Professional beekeeping equipment including hive machines, handling equipment, and professional-grade accessories for commercial beekeeping operations. Targeted at professional apiculturists running commercial honey production.
• Kit Débutant Apiculture (Beginner Beekeeping Starter Kit) Complete beginner beekeeping starter kit bundling a Dadant 10-frame hive with super, frames, wax, protective clothing (jacket and gloves), smoker, hive tool, and an instructional book at €199.90 (regularly €255.05). Targeted at amateur hobbyists entering beekeeping.
• Wax Molds and Candle Wicks (Moules à cire et mèches à bougie) Wax molds for making candles and beehive-shaped candles, including wicks. Products include bee hive, straw hive, queen, egg, cylinder, and ball-shaped candle molds. Targeted at beekeepers producing beeswax candles for personal use or sale.
• Honey and Beehive-Related Goods (Autour du miel et de la ruche) Hive products and honey-related goods including honey, royal jelly, cosmetics, wellness products, bee-themed jewelry, and decorative items. Targeted at general consumers and gift buyers.
• Beekeeping Books (Livres apiculture) Collection of beekeeping books covering topics for beginners, advanced techniques, nature and bees, apitherapy, gastronomy, and youth education. Targeted at amateur beekeepers seeking deeper knowledge.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Thorne: One of the UK's oldest and largest beekeeping equipment suppliers, offering hives, protective clothing, queen rearing supplies, and honey processing equipment to both hobbyist and professional beekeepers. Highly comparable catalog breadth and customer base to Apiculture.net.
• National Bee Supplies (NBS): UK-based beekeeping equipment retailer with a comprehensive catalog of hives, frames, tools, and protective clothing targeting amateur and commercial beekeepers. Closely comparable business model and product scope.
• Betterbee: US-based beekeeping equipment retailer and educational resource offering hives, clothing, queen rearing, and honey processing equipment to amateur and professional beekeepers. Closely comparable specialty retail model.

Broad incumbents

• Dadant & Sons: One of the oldest and largest US beekeeping supply companies, manufacturing and distributing hives, extractors, and apparel. Larger and broader in scope than Apiculture.net, but operates in the same category with overlapping product lines.
• Mann Lake Ltd: Major US beekeeping equipment manufacturer and distributor serving hobbyists and commercial operations with hives, tools, medications, and honey processing gear. Comparable catalog breadth with significantly larger scale.
• GloryBee: US beekeeping and natural foods company selling equipment, beekeeping supplies, and honey products. Overlaps with Apiculture.net on beekeeping equipment and adjacent honey/pollen SKUs at greater scale.
• Kelley Beekeeping: Long-established US beekeeping equipment supplier with a broad catalog of hives, tools, and apparel for hobbyist and commercial beekeepers. Comparable multi-generational heritage and product positioning.

Regional players

• Beekeeping-Shop (Werner Seip): German beekeeping equipment retailer with a deep catalog of hives, tools, and protective clothing for hobbyist and professional beekeepers. Comparable product offering but focused on the DACH market rather than France.
• Apicoltura Online: Italian online beekeeping equipment retailer carrying hives, extraction equipment, protective clothing, and packaging. Comparable specialist e-commerce model, but serving the Italian market rather than France.

Others

• ApiFrance (FFAP): French national apiculture federation representing French beekeepers and providing information, advocacy, and links to member suppliers. Comparable French beekeeping ecosystem player but operating as a trade body rather than a retailer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/apiculture.net
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/api-culture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Apiculture.net