Kelley Beekeeping Company

What Kelley Beekeeping Company does

Mann Lake Bee & Ag Supply, doing business as Mann Lake, is a privately-held US manufacturer and retailer of beekeeping supplies founded in 1983 in a Minnesota garage. The company operates a comprehensive product catalog spanning hive construction (hive kits, hive bodies and supers, frames, foundation, covers, bottom boards), live bees (package bees, queens, and nucleus colonies across Buckfast, Carniolan, Italian, Russian, and Hybrid varieties), queen rearing supplies, protective gear, hive tools, bee feeding and medication products, honey extraction and bottling equipment, and adjacent poultry and small-farm supplies plus education and craft goods. The majority of core products are manufactured in the USA.

The company runs a direct-to-consumer model through a BigCommerce e-commerce storefront (mannlakeltd.com) and a companion mobile app, supplemented by a dealer/store-locator network that supports live bee and nuc pickup in seven US states (California, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Texas). Marketing is multi-channel, combining organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok) with educational content including a blog, catalog, and Beekeepers Buzz video series. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quote-based for most products, with free shipping offered on orders exceeding $150.

Mann Lake serves two primary customer segments — hobbyist beekeepers seeking beginner-to-intermediate equipment and commercial beekeepers requiring bulk supplies and specialized equipment — alongside a secondary segment of poultry and small-farm enthusiasts. The company has been continuously operating for over four decades with no disclosed ownership changes, M&A activity, external funding, or parent entity, indicating long-term independent private ownership.

Name

Kelley Beekeeping Company

Legal name

Mann Lake Bee & Ag Supply

Website

https://kelleybees.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mann Lake Bee & Ag Supply is a privately-held US manufacturer and retailer of beekeeping supplies, founded in 1983, serving hobbyist and commercial beekeepers across the United States with hives, live bees, protective gear, feeding and medication products, and adjacent poultry and farm supplies through e-commerce, mobile app, and a multi-state dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beekeeping Supplies

NAICS

Apiculture (11291)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Package Bees & Colony Sales (AFAEAHAF), Bee Health Management & Treatments (Mite/Disease Control Products & Services) (AFAEAHAK), Beeswax Production & Processing (AFAEAHAB), Beekeeping Training, Education & Advisory Services (AFAEAHAO)

Keywords

• Beekeeping supplies
• Hive equipment
• Live honey bees
• Honey extraction equipment
• Apiary protective gear

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Kelley Beekeeping Company (operating as Mann Lake Bee & Ag Supply) manufactures and sells beekeeping equipment and supplies, including hive kits, hive bodies and supers, frames, foundation, covers, bottom boards, nucs, live package bees, queen bees, queen rearing supplies, protective gear, hive tools, bee feeders, pollen substitutes, syrup, medications and treatments, honey extraction and bottling equipment, and adjacent poultry and farm supplies. The company also offers educational content and craft supplies (candles, soap, wine/mead making) for hobbyist and commercial beekeepers primarily in the United States.

Product overview

Mann Lake Bee & Ag Supply is a comprehensive beekeeping supplies manufacturer and retailer offering a broad product portfolio organized into distinct categories. The core offerings include Hive Kits, Hive Bodies & Supers, Frames, and Foundation for hive construction and maintenance. Live honey bee products include Package Bees, Queen Bees, Live Nucs, and Queen Rearing supplies. Supporting products cover Protective Gear, Hive Tools, Feeding & Medications (including bee feeders, pollen substitutes, syrup, and disease treatments), and Extracting & Bottling equipment. The company has expanded into adjacent markets with Poultry & Farm supplies and Education/Crafts/Gifts including beeswax processing and candle-making supplies. Products are available assembled or unassembled, with the majority of core products proudly USA-made since the company's founding in 1983.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mann Lake Bee & Ag Supply: Primary business name and brand for beekeeping supplies.

Products and services

• Hive Kits Pre-assembled and unassembled beehive starter kits for beginner and experienced beekeepers establishing new hives.
• Hive Bodies & Supers Wooden hive boxes and honey supers, assembled or unassembled, USA-made, with hardware and assembly options.
• Frames Assembled and unassembled frames including Max Wax Rite Cell, Waxed Rite-Cell, PermaDent, and plastic frames in various top/bottom configurations.
• Foundation Plastic and beeswax foundation options including Rite Cell, PermaDent, Wired, Unwired, Cut Comb, and Small Cell foundation.
• Hive Covers & Bottom Boards Outer covers, inner covers, and bottom boards for complete beehive construction.
• Nucs & Accessories Wooden nucleus boxes, plastic nuc boxes, and accessories for starting and maintaining bee colonies.
• Comb Honey Equipment Equipment systems for producing comb honey, including cut comb foundation, Hogg Halfcomb, and Ross Round systems.
• Pollen & Propolis Collection Equipment Specialized equipment for collecting pollen and propolis from bee colonies.
• Live Package Bees Live package honey bees in Buckfast, Carniolan, Hybrid, Italian, and Russian varieties for hive establishment.
• Live Queen Bees Queen bees in Buckfast, Russian, Carniolan, Hybrid, and Italian varieties, including bulk queens and emergency replacement queens.
• Live Nucs Live nucleus colonies available for pickup in California, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, and Texas.
• Queen Rearing Supplies Grafting tools, queen cages, queen marking supplies, mating nucs, and complete kits for beekeepers who raise their own queens.
• Protective Gear Bee suits, jackets, gloves, helmets, veils, and kids-sized protective gear for safe beekeeping handling and inspection.
• Hive Tools & Smokers Essential hand tools for hive inspection and management, including hive tools, smokers, and smoker fuel.
• Bee Feeders Pollen substitute feeders, syrup top feeders, syrup pro feeders, and standard syrup feeders for colony nutrition.
• Pollen Substitutes & Protein Feed Protein supplements including Ultra Bee Rocket Fuel, Ultra Bee Plus, Ultra Bee, and Bee Pro for colony feeding.
• Syrup & Sugar Feed Carbohydrate feeding products including Pro Sweet and Winter Bee Feed for winter and dearth season colony nutrition.
• Bee Medications & Treatments Treatments for Varroa mite, Small Hive Beetle, Foulbrood, Wax Moth, Tracheal Mite, and Nosema.
• Honey Extracting Equipment Extraction equipment scaled for 1–10 hives, 11–50 hives, and 50+ hives, plus uncapping tanks, tools, and honey removal aids for commercial and hobbyist operations.
• Honey Bottling Equipment Bottling and packaging equipment including honey containers in plastic and glass, plus packaging materials.
• Poultry & Farm Supplies Incubators, brooders, netting, fencing, electric fencing, goat supplies, chicken treats, feeders, waterers, egg handling equipment, meat processing, and livestock health products for small-scale poultry and farm operations.
• Education, Crafts & Gifts Beeswax processing, candle making, soap making, lip balm, wine and mead supplies, pollen and propolis products, books, educational tools, home decor, seeding and forage seeds, and gift items.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dadant & Sons: Dadant & Sons is one of the oldest and largest US beekeeping supply manufacturers and distributors, offering a comparable full-scope catalog of hives, equipment, medications, and protective gear to both hobbyist and commercial beekeepers — the most direct competitor to Mann Lake.
• Betterbee: Betterbee is a New York-based beekeeping supply specialist offering bees, queens, equipment, and education to hobbyist and small commercial beekeepers — directly comparable in segment focus, education-led go-to-market, and product breadth.
• Brushy Mountain Bee Farm: Brushy Mountain Bee Farm is a long-standing US beekeeping supplies retailer and manufacturer selling hives, tools, protective gear, and educational content directly to hobbyist and sideliner beekeepers, with a catalog and brand profile directly comparable to Mann Lake.
• GloryBee: GloryBee is an Oregon-based beekeeping supplies and honey products company offering hives, tools, beeswax, and candle-making supplies with a similar beekeeping-plus-value-added-product portfolio and US manufacturing footprint.
• Kelley Beekeeping (Walter T. Kelley Co.): Walter T. Kelley Co. (Kelley Beekeeping) is a historic US beekeeping supplies manufacturer based in Kentucky, producing woodenware and offering a comprehensive catalog of equipment comparable to Mann Lake's product breadth.
• Miller Bee Supply: Miller Bee Supply is a small US beekeeping supplies retailer selling hives, protective gear, medications, and tools primarily to hobbyist beekeepers with a comparable (though smaller) horizontal catalog model.
• Blue Sky Bee Supply: Blue Sky Bee Supply is an internet-native US beekeeping supplies retailer carrying a comparable catalog of hives, tools, and accessories to hobbyist and small commercial beekeepers.

Others

• Bee Informed Partnership: Bee Informed Partnership is a US nonprofit providing honey bee health research, data, and education services to commercial and hobbyist beekeepers — thematically adjacent via the same ecosystem but not a commercial competitor.

Emerging players

• BeeWeaver Apiaries: BeeWeaver Apiaries is a Texas-based bee breeder and supplier of package bees, queens, and beekeeping equipment with a regional pickup model that overlaps Mann Lake's live bee distribution and small-scale equipment lines.

Broad incumbents

• Tractor Supply Co. Tractor Supply Co. is a broad US rural-lifestyle retailer carrying a limited beekeeping assortment (kits, suits, basic equipment) at scale — a broad incumbent whose category expansion could partially overlap Mann Lake's hobbyist segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/mannlake
• Facebookfacebook.com/mannlakeltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/mannlakeltd/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@mannlakebeeandagsupply
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-walter-t-kelley-company

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 Kelley Beekeeping Company