Thank you for reaching out to us. Our dedicated associates are ready to assist you. For email inquiries, please allow 1-2 business days for a response. If you require immediate assistance, we encourage you to contact us at 800-880-7694. Our phone lines are open from 7 am to 7 pm CST, Monday to Friday, for ordering and customer service. Additionally, you can connect with us through live chat with a representative available from 8 am to 4:30 pm CST, Monday to Friday. We appreciate your patience and look forward to serving you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ordering Information
Most orders will ship in 1-2 business days and deliver in 5-7 business days. Orders requiring customization or larger orders shipping via freight may take longer to deliver.
Please note, if you are looking for the status of a bee order, we will contact you via your preferred contact method regarding your shipment or pickup date. This information is not available currently on your account.
You may make changes or cancel your merchandise order if it has not been processed by our shipping team. To cancel your order, send us a message, with your order number and we will do our best to resolve your request as quickly as possible.
If we are not able to accommodate your request, you may return your merchandise within 30 days of purchase. *some exclusions may apply*
A $10 change or cancellation fee may be applied to live bee orders.
If you see Awaiting Payment on your order status, rest assured your order and payment has been received. There is no further action required on your part. Your status may not change until the item has shipped.
Most orders over $150 ship free within the lower 48 states! Shipping rates are charged based on order weight and size. To request a shipping quote, send us a message. Orders less than $150 are subject to a $10 handling fee.
We ship via UPS and other premium carriers to provide you with the fastest and most reliable service available.
If your package is lost in transit, we will file a claim with the carrier for you. send us a message, with your order number and we will file a claim and send a replacement order if the carrier is unable to locate your shipment.
If your package is damaged in transit, contact us immediately, we will file a claim with the carrier and send a replacement or process a credit for you ASAP! Complete this form, with your order number and pictures of the packaging, label, and damaged contents to allow us to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
Yes, most of our products can be shipped internationally. We also have international dealers that sell our products. To locate a dealer nearest to you, visit our Authorized Dealer page. Orders shipped internationally do not qualify for free shipping. You are responsible for all applicable duties, taxes and fees charged by the destination country. We recommend contacting your customs office for information on duties, taxes, and restricted items.
Returns
Contact us within 30 days of purchase to request a return authorization or replacement. send us a message and we will provide an RMA number. We want you to be satisfied with your purchase and warrant all equipment to be free of defects and workmanship.
We cannot accept returns on medications or hazardous material. However, if there is a discrepancy on your order, we will gladly work with you to make it right. Send us a message, with your order number and description of the problem and we will do our best to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
If your package is damaged in transit, contact us immediately, we will file a claim with the carrier and send a replacement or process a credit for you ASAP! Complete this form, with your order number and pictures of the packaging, label, and damaged contents to allow us to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
If replacement merchandise is shipped, and damaged or incorrect product is returning, a balance will remain on your account until the return is processed.
Refunds are processed to your original payment method. Depending on your banking institution, your refund may take 5-7 business days to process to your account.
Payments
Your payment method will be charged automatically on the date the order is shipped. As soon as you place your order, you may see a pending charge for the total amount of the order. The pending charge will disappear 24 to 48 hours after your order ships. There's no need to call or update anything online.
We offer many convenient ways to pay, Visa, Discover, MasterCard, American Express, Check with Order, Check by Phone, Wire Transfer or PayPal (PayPal online only). Please use the remittance address below when mailing payment.
Mann Lake LockBox 446095
PO Box 64341
St. Paul, MN 55164-0341
When you place an order with Mann Lake, we contact the bank that issues your card to confirm the account and reserve funds. This will show as a pending charge, or authorization charge, on your account.
We then charge your payment method when your items ship. If your items ship in more than one shipment, you may see multiple charges. Rest assured; you are only charged for shipped items.
If you are having trouble with your card, confirm that the billing address on your order matches the address on file with your card company. If you are still having issues, we recommend contacting your card company as some cards have daily or transactions limits that may be the source of the trouble.
Promotions
We are only able to apply one promotion per order. Our goal is to offer strong promotions with great pricing, even on our best-selling items. As a result, promotional offers are not valid in combination with other offers.
We offer a 5% discount to all military personnel that have served or are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces. We appreciate your service! Confirmation of service is required to receive this discount. Contact us for details.
Live Bees
Package bees purchased from Mann Lake will include 3lbs (approximately 10,000) worker bees and a mated queen. The queen will be inside of the package in a separate cage.
Bees are packaged in a special container specifically designed for transporting honeybees. The package is well ventilated and has a can of sugar syrup suspended from the top of the package as a food source.
Queens in our packages will not be marked. Marking tools can be purchased separately.
If you have pre-ordered bees for pickup at one of our stores, you will receive a notification from us via the preferred contact method set at the time of ordering. We use email, auto-mated phone call and SMS(text) for sending notifications.
If you have pre-ordered bees to be shipped, you will receive a notification from us via the preferred contact method set at the time of ordering. We use email, auto-mated phone call and SMS(text) for sending notifications. Notification is sent approximately one week prior to the shipment of bees. If there are any changes to the estimated ship date you will be notified.
The queen is caged without attendant bees. This allows for the queen to be accepted by the workers bees faster. She will be cared for by the worker bees included in the package.
Bees can be transported inside a vehicle or the back of truck, out of direct sunlight and wind. We do not recommend placing package bees in the closed trunk of a car. Packages should not be placed in a closed container, box, covered with blankets or other materials. Remember, bees are living creatures and need good airflow to breathe. It is also best to keep them cool during transport to reduce stress. If you have further questions, our knowledgeable staff will be on site to help you during Bee Days
Install your package bees as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours of receiving them, unless temperatures are under 40° F.
Leave your bees in the package and place the package of bees in a dark, cool area (garage, basement, etc.) The ideal temperature is between 50-70 °F. Once inside, try not to break the cluster of bees. Apply a light mist of sugar water to screens/ sides of the package twice a day. Install bees as soon as possible.
You will need a hive, setup in your apiary, protective clothing, spray bottle with sugar water, hive tool, pliers, and a mini marshmallow. If this is your first time installing bees, or you just need a refresher, read through our installation instructions prior to installing your package.
Yes! Bees need both carbohydrates and protein to establish a successful colony. We recommend feeding your bees heavily for at least the first three weeks until the colony is well established. Offer your bees Pro- Sweet liquid feed or a 1:1 sugar mix, and a high-quality pollen substitute, such as Ultra Bee or Bee Pro. Note: consumption may vary depending on natural pollen and nectar availability.
If preparing your own sugar water mix, we recommend adding a stimulant such as Pro- Health that will also help prevent fermentation.
We recommend using an in hive ProFeeder, placed within a few inches of the cluster of bees, to ensure the bees have access to the feed, even when temperatures are cool. This is especially important when starting a new colony on frames that do not have drawn comb.
Our suppliers treat the bees and they come with a health certificate. After, your colony is established, we recommend establishing a monitoring program for varroa mites and treating when necessary.
Do not add the second deep or super until the bees have drawn out 7 – 10 frames.
You can find a list of labs that can test your bees, sometimes at reduced cost due to support from Project Apis m (APm).
There are 3 different kinds of honeybees found in a hive. The queen, who is responsible for laying eggs and colony morale, has an average life span of 2-3 years. Most queens however, live shorter spans of time due to the re-queening of hives by beekeepers. Drones are the male bees whose sole purpose is to mate with the queen. Drones are born throughout the active season of the hive so their life span depends on when they were born. If a drone successfully mates a queen, he will die in the act. If he is unsuccessful and doesn't die from old age, he will be evicted from the hive at the end of the season to die of starvation. Worker bees have an average life span of 4- 5 weeks during the summer months when they are most active. Their life span depends on the amount of work done. She will actually work herself to death. In the fall and winter, workers will live for several months because they are less active.
There are 3 different kinds of honeybees found in a hive. The queen, who is responsible for laying eggs and colony morale, has an average life span of 2-3 years. Most queens however, live shorter spans of time due to the re-queening of hives by beekeepers. Drones are the male bees whose sole purpose is to mate with the queen. Drones are born throughout the active season of the hive so their life span depends on when they were born. If a drone successfully mates a queen, he will die in the act. If he is unsuccessful and doesn't die from old age, he will be evicted from the hive at the end of the season to die of starvation. Worker bees have an average life span of 4- 5 weeks during the summer months when they are most active. Their life span depends on the amount of work done. She will actually work herself to death. In the fall and winter, workers will live for several months because they are less ac
A strong, healthy hive would be home to approximately 40,000 - 45,000 bees.
Nucleus FAQ
A nuc or nucleus hive is a partially developed colony. It will have 4-5 frames with drawn comb, a mated queen, workers, brood in different life stages, and food stores (pollen & nectar). A package of bees only has 3lb of workers bees and a mated queen bee.
It will have 4-5 frames with drawn comb, a mated queen, workers, brood in different life stages, and food stores (pollen & nectar).
The queen will not be in cage. She will be in the nuc, laying eggs. Use caution when installing the frames into the hive as to not damage or kill the queen.
Bees can be transported inside a vehicle or the back of truck, out of direct sunlight and wind. We do not recommend placing package bees in the closed trunk of a car. We recommend a nuc net or hive net when transporting a nuc inside a vehicle. Nucs should not be placed in a closed container or box, covered with blankets or other materials. Remember, bees are living creatures and need good airflow to breathe. Nets are available for purchase when picking up at one of our store locations.
Please take pictures of all the frames and contact Mann Lake within 24 hours of receipt.
Yes! Bees need both carbohydrates and protein to establish a successful colony. We recommend feeding your bees heavily for at least the first three weeks until the colony is well established. Offer your bees Pro- Sweet liquid feed or a 1:1 sugar mix, and a high-quality pollen substitute, such as Ultra Bee or Bee Pro. Note: consumption may vary depending on natural pollen and nectar availability.
If preparing your own sugar water mix, we recommend adding a stimulant such as Pro- Health that will also help prevent fermentation.
If the weather is unfavorable, place the nuc next to the hive where they will later be installed and open the entrance. Install the nuc in permanent hives when weather conditions improve.
Queen Bee FAQ
Queens can either ship UPS Next Day or USPS Priority Mail. Queens are shipped in a wooden queen cage with candy and attendants to care for the queen. The cage(s) will be shipped in an envelope with ventilation holes.
Queens should be transported out of direct sunlight and kept at room temperature.
Contact us within 24 hours of receipt of the bees. We will send one replacement queen at no charge. Take a photo of the queen in the original queen cage. Install the dead queen into the hive with both corks in place. When replacement queen arrives remove dead queen and replace with new one. Leaving the dead queen in the colony helps prevent the bees from absconding.
Inspect the queen upon arrival. Place a small drop of water on the screen of the cage (twice a day if not immediately installed). If queen is not installed the first day, keep her out of direct sunlight at room temperature and water daily. The queen cage is not permanent living space.
Queens will not be marked. Marking tools can be purchased separately.
Keeping Bees
We recommend starting with at least two hives. You can compare the hives to each other. If one colony is struggling, you have an option to share resources between colonies.
It is best to place your beehive in an area protected from the wind and facing the sun to allow the bees an early start in the morning. If in a city, face the entrance of your hive towards a fence to force the bees into a high flying pattern.
Please allow several days after installation before checking your hive. Confirm that the queen has been released by checking for eggs and larvae on the frames. Allow a couple weeks before inspecting your colony for the second time.
The outside of woodenware should be protected and sealed form the elements. Only paint the outside of your beehive. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly before installing your bees.
The best resource for your area would be your local beekeeping association. We recommend contacting them for beginner’s courses and mentorship opportunities.
Support
You can reach us at 800-880-7694. Our representatives are on the phones and ready to assist 7am to 7pm CST. You may also email us at beekeeper@mannlakeltd.com and we will respond to you as soon as possible.
Our representatives are on the phones and ready to assist 7am to 7pm CST.
Store locations
Click here for store locations and hours