JE
Posted
I bought a total of 14 queens and only…
I bought 14 queens, and only 5 of them survived. On top of that, none of the queens were mated. Mann Lake is a dishonest company. I strongly recommend looking for an alternative.

Bad
48 reviews
Mann Lake Bee & Ag Supply is the leader in quality manufacturing, innovation, and customer service in the beekeeping industry. Whether you are just starting out in the world of beekeeping or running a full-scale commercial beekeeping business, we have all of the top-of-the-line products and services you require. Mann Lake Bee & Ag Supply was founded by Jack and Betty Thomas in 1983 because they couldn't find the quality beekeeping supplies they needed for their own beekeeping hobby. They began selling supplies out of their garage but quickly discovered that many other beekeepers were underserved as well. Realizing the need was bigger than their garage, they moved the business from their home to downtown Hackensack, Minnesota. Since then, they have expanded to California, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, and Kentucky (formerly Kelley Beekeeping). We’ve also branched out into the exciting world of poultry to provide you both with the knowledge and products of both the birds and the bees! Mann Lake acquired Stromberg’s Chicks & Gamebirds to offer the latest and greatest birds, poultry products and feeds on the market today. Stromberg’s is also a Minnesota based company with a history expanding 100 years! Mann Lake is at the forefront of the ever-changing beekeeping industry. Throughout the challenges that have arisen, Mann Lake has met them head-on to ensure the survival of the honey bee for all. Regardless of the number of hives you keep, Mann Lake has the same goal in mind as you: to keep this natural pollinator flourishing.
Mann Lake Bee & Ag Supply (mannlakeltd.com) has 48 customer reviews on Consumer Courier, with an average rating of 1.7 out of 5.
48 approved reviews, newest moderated first
JE
Posted
I bought 14 queens, and only 5 of them survived. On top of that, none of the queens were mated. Mann Lake is a dishonest company. I strongly recommend looking for an alternative.
Frederick M.
Posted
I ordered 2 Itialian packages oneness going great. The other is not. They are both in the exact same locations and have received the same care and inspections. One queen is just not performing as she should. When I contacted customer service I was told I must report problems sooner. Some queens are just slow to show problems. There was no help from Mann Lake. There are many suppliers out there so I guess I will look there. I may just go local for supplies.
chuk
Posted
1st order, they put deep frames with foundation on the bottom of the shipping pallet with 427 pounds of woodware on top of them. Bands so loose that the frames sagged between the pallet slats and forklift destroyed several frames. They offered to replace the frames, but sent MEDIUM frames (in spite of sending them a picture per their return policy) and now say they are out of the Deep frames. 2nd order, two packages of Buckfast bees. Shipped on a Saturday didn't arrive until Friday with two thirds of them dead. Can't send replacements because they are out of stock. I'm sensing a pattern. 3rd order, a third of the queens DOA. Have not heard any response from them on my claim made within their 24 hour time limit. I'm guessing, like most corporations these days, they only care about stock prices and shareholders. They don't care to pay enough to retain good quality workers or stock good quality merchandise.
Tracy F.
Posted
I I bought 10 corniolan queens and only four of them have a decent landing pattern. Watch what you do they do not replace if they got a bad laying pattern sad part it was $50 a queen. When I’ll be doing business with them anymore
Bill B.
Posted
Ordered honey sticks from Man Lake 2000 honey sticks that tasted so bad I was afraid to eat them. I give them out at schools that I do Bee Talks for. No way I give them to kids would be afraid they would get sick. They would not give a refund was willing to ship them back.
Matthew T.
Posted
I've been a Mann Lake customer for about 10 years and at times I'm not real happy with their quality control. Especially with their wooden ware stuff that I think they manufacture themselves. It was stuff like box joints that weren't cut straight or broken frames, foundation with no wax coatings and so on. But if I complain about it, they take care of me and just now, I called customer service. Not to belly ache but just had a question about my order and talked to one of the nicest, most helpful service reps I've dealt with. Good kid! Their heart is in the right place even if their saw is not always set up right.
Response from Mann Lake Bee & Ag Supply· Aug 28, 2025
Thank you sincerely for taking the time to share your experience, and for your continued loyalty over the past decade. We truly value your honest feedback and the trust you’ve placed in Mann Lake over the years. We are always striving to improve the quality of our products, particularly our woodenware, and we appreciate you bringing specific concerns to our attention. Your insight plays a vital role in helping us strengthen our quality control and service standards. We’re especially pleased to hear that your recent interaction with our customer service team was a positive one. We’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to everyone; it means a great deal to our entire team. Thank you again for your thoughtful review and for giving us the opportunity to continue earning your business.
Paul
Posted
I dont understand the negative reviews here, I have had nothing but a great experience, fast shipping, no issues at all.
Response from Mann Lake Bee & Ag Supply· Aug 8, 2025
Thank you so much for your feedback, Paul! We truly appreciate your business and your positivity, and we look forward to assisting you in the future.
Gina S.
Posted
I ordered bees on April 28th to be shipped out May 10th. They were shipped the correct day according to the post office. However the email I received said they didn’t ship until the 12th. Fast forward to May 15th, I do not have bees. Nobody knows where they are. Mann Lake says they pay for tracking but the postal service rarely uses it because they are “afraid” of the bees. So the tracking numbers they provide are absolutely NO USE! UPDATE….My bees did arrive 6 days after shipping date, and yes, over half the bees were dead. However, Mann Lake did fully refund me w no hassle. I’d probably order from them again if they had more bees, but they don’t. Thanks Mann Lake! 🤩🤩
Response from Mann Lake Bee & Ag Supply· May 19, 2025
Thank you for your message. We truly understand how stressful waiting for live bees can be, especially with limited tracking updates, and we appreciate you reaching out. When placing an order, the date selected is the ship date, not the expected delivery date. Depending on how far the bees are traveling, it may take 1–3 business days for them to arrive. Tracking can sometimes be minimal with USPS—often only showing when bees are dropped off and delivered. While this is understandably frustrating, it's actually a fairly common occurrence with live animal shipments. Also, we want to clarify that package bees cannot be shipped by air. They must travel via ground only, as recommended by USPS. We work directly with their team each season to ensure best shipping practices, and each shipment includes a special handling fee to help prioritize the bees’ safety in transit. If a shipment is delayed or suspected lost, we follow a 6-day waiting period from the ship date before we can consider them DOA or lost. This policy is in place because package bees are often surprisingly resilient and do arrive in good shape even after a few days in transit. We are truly glad you were able to take full advantage of our Bee Policy, and we’ve already initiated a refund on your behalf. We completely understand if you decide not to place another bee order with us. Your bees’ well-being comes first, and we fully support you doing what’s best for them. If you have any other questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.