If you are a beekeeper in or near Maryland, you are lucky, because there are many places to buy bees in Maryland.
I’ve compiled a list of companies who sell beekeeping supplies in Maryland and many of these suppliers offer beekeeping equipment including tools like bee suits, hive components, smokers, gloves, etc. And if you’d like to know where to buy bees, many of them provide nucs, bee packages, and queen bees for sale.
Oftentimes, beekeeping suppliers are also working apiaries or even farms with other livestock and produce. And while I’ve made every effort to include up-to-date information on all of these listings, it’s important to look at the website or call the phone number provided to check to see if there are regular business hours, if there is a storefront, or if you need to make an appointment.
Among the beekeeping suppliers in Maryland, many of them offer beginner beekeeping classes or other services like hive inspections, hive sitting, queen installation, and swarm removal and relocation.
While you are finding the perfect beekeeping supplier, remember to bee happy and bee well!
Beekeeping Supplies for Sale in Maryland
| Name | Location | Website | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free State Bees | 1241 Generals Hwy, Crownsville, MD 21032 | facebook.com/freestatebees | (410) 923-9800 |
| Maryland Honey Company | 6910 Damascus Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20882 | mdhoneycompany.com | (301) 518-9678 |
| The Bee Shack | 757 Hickory Ridge Rd, Accident, MD 21520 | thebeeshack.com | (301) 616-3551 |
| Western Maryland Apiaries | 8005 Gambrill Park Rd, Frederick, MD 21702 | westernmdapiaries.com | (301) 639-1894 |
| Snyder's Apiaries | 4747 Norrisville Rd, White Hall, MD 21161 | www.snydersapiaries.com | (410) 329-6671 |
| Miller Bee Supply | 12920 Eastern Ave, Middle River, MD 21220 | millerbeesupplies.com | (410) 335-3424 |
| Suncrest Bees | 7501 Mt Vista Rd, Kingsville, MD 21087 | facebook.com/BeesInKingsvilleMD | (443) 797-2309 |
| Bee crazy Apiary | 12921 Hog Lot Rd, Ridgely, MD 21660 | beecrazyapiary.com | (240) 682-5890 |
| Tractor Supply Co. | 5431 Southern Maryland Blvd, Lothian, MD 20711 | tractorsupply.com | (410) 741-9021 |
| Stone Ridge Honey Bee Co | Westminster, MD 21157 | (410) 635-2121 | |
| Tractor Supply Co. | 7994 Crain Hwy S, Glen Burnie, MD 21061 | tractorsupply.com | (410) 969-8900 |
| Azure B Apiaries | 6645 Old Laplata Farm Rd, La Plata, MD 20646 | azure-b-apiaries.business.site | (443) 975-3604 |
| Pristine Valley Farms | 2814 Old Joppa Rd, Joppatowne, MD 21085 | pristinevalleyfarms.com | (410) 679-9235 |
| Tractor Supply Co. | 711 Washington Ave, Chestertown, MD 21620 | tractorsupply.com | (410) 778-2047 |
Tips for Buying Bees
Nuc versus Package bees
There are two main ways to buy bees. There are nuc-short for nucleus and pronounced like nuke, and there are package bees.
Nucleus Colony
A nucleus colony is a mini bee hive equipped with a small number of frames with bees and a queen who has already been accepted and is laying eggs.
Package Bees
Package bees mimic a natural or wild bee colony where there is a young queen in her own cage, surrounded by about three pounds of worker bees. There will typically be a can of sugar syrup so that the bees can feed on it during transportation.
You can also buy individual mated queens throughout the summer.
Can Bees Be Shipped or Mailed?
The short answer is yes. But there are certain rules. I will let Stamps.com explain:
“Only queen honeybees and female worker/attendant honeybees can be mailed via the USPS. Whole colonies cannot be shipped.”
Something to consider about shipping bees is that with delays, Covid and other problems that the shipping and postal agencies are facing, and the stress that shipping causes to bees, shipping bees is not recommended.
If you are in a situation where you cannot pick up local bees, consider the following tips for buying bees online:
Do the research to find the best bee seller for your situation. Make sure the seller is reputable, if they have online reviews, read them. Call the seller directly. Find out what their packaging and delivery methods are from farm to shipping facilities.
Find out if the supplier raises their own bees and queen bees or if they ship them or pick them up from another location. Ask directly! It’s important.
- Try to buy bees from a similar climate as your own.
- Find out about shipping insurance options. It is possible that bees will die in transit.
- Purchase expedited shipping. It’s worth it to decrease the time bees will be in transit.
- Track your package so that you will be ready to accept them as soon as they are delivered.
Buying Bees Locally
Pros to Using a Local Honey Bee Supplier
- You’ll get locally raised bees, who have been bred to thrive in your area (make sure you check with the bee supplier to make sure whether or not they raise the bees or where they get theirs from).
- Decreased transportation times and thus, less stress on the bees.
- Meeting a local bee enthusiast who will be an invaluable resources for questions and help with establishing your bees.
After you use our handy resource page for finding local beekeeping supplies, and you find the perfect supplier near you, contact them and arrange for pickup.
Transporting Your Bees
Make sure the container of bees is secured shut. Look for any possible openings and tape them shut. Even after you’ve done this, expect the possibility of a loose bee in your car, so that your aren’t suprised by this while driving.
Ensure the container of bees, whatever form it’s in, is fixed within the car so that it won’t slide around.
Do not leave the bees in a hot car! Don’t make any stops and don’t put them in the trunk for the drive home.
Installing New Package Bees
Have your new hive set up before you arrive with your bees, so the transition will be easy and as healthy as possible for your bees.
Remove 3-4 frames so you can install the queen and then pour in the bees.
Keep the package out of direct sunlight. Spray the bees with clean water. then after an hour spray them lightly with sugar syrup. This is a gentle spray of light sugar syrup. You want a 1:1 (one part sugar to one part water) ratio. Don’t drown the bees in syrup.
Remove the Cover and Feed Can
Gently remove the cover. You will see the top of the feeder can. Knock the box, just enough to have the bees fall to the bottom.
Use pliers or a Hive tool to remove the feeder can.
Lift Out the Queen Cage
Remove the queen cage and gently shake off any bees on the ouside of the cage. Cover the hole left in the package from where the feeder can was. Don’t miss this important step!
Inspect the Queen
Get to know what the queen looks like so you can locate her again within the hive. Pull the plug on one end of the cage, but leave the candy that comes next to the plug in place. The bees and/or the queen will eat this candy, which will take about two days. You need this barrier to stay in place so that the queen’s pheromones can spread through the hive and the bees will have time to accept her. If you don’t leave the candy in at the end of the cage, the bees will be able to get to the queen before accepting her and they might reject her, which means killing her.
Her Majesty, the Queen’s presence is always announced ahead of time. Bees do this using pheromones.
Put the Queen Cage in the Hive
You have already removed some frames from the hive to leave a gap. The queen cage will have a tab connected to it. Bend this tab around the top of the frame nearest to the gap you created.
If you are going to use a hive top feeder, make sure the queen won’t be underneath of that feeder, so that she doesn’t get dripped on by accident.
Pour the Bees Into the Hive
Once the queen has been installed, remove the plywood cover and pour your bees into the gap you created by removing frames.
Most of the bees will fall into the hive. Don’t worry if every single bee doesn’t make it in.
Place the now empty package on the ground near the front of the hive and leave it open. The bees that didn’t make it in will soon join their friends inside the hive.
Close the Hive
Reinsert the frames you removed when you prepared the hive, making sure you don’t knock off the queen’s cage. Place the inner cover and your feeder and then the top cover.
How to Install a Nuc of Honey Bees
When you get to your apiary, place the nuc box on top of your hive box. Open the entrance of the nuc box. If the entrance is taped shut, a hive tool will come in handy to remove the tape.
The bees should begin collecting nectar and pollen shortly after you open the entrance.
Wait at least 24 hours or even up to a week before taking the frames out of your nuc box and placing them into your hive.
After a week, do your first hive inspection.
When To Buy Bees
Order bees in late fall. As the popularity of beekeeping as a hobby increases, the demand for bees is higher than ever. And that goes for beekeeping supplies, too. So, it makes sense to do your research early, find your favorite beekeeping supplier and find out when they start taking pre-orders for the next summer beekeeping season.
How Much do Bees Cost?
The cost of buying new bees will vary depending upon various factors. Some of these factors include whether you have a package or nuc, whether you pick it up or have it shipped, and whether it’s a spring nuc or it has been overwintered.
Costs from a recent sampling of suppliers across the country have ranged from $120-$300 with shipping being one of the major causes of higher costs.
How Much do Queen Bees Cost?
The cost of queen bees ranges widely depending on factors such as breed, location, time of year, and where they are produced. Commonly, you can expect to pay between $20 to $50 plus shipping. But just like dogs, cats and all other animals, pedigreed Queen bees can cost much more. In this case, up to $300 per queen would not be unheard of.
Basic Beekeeping Supplies
Smoker
Hive tool
Veil and gloves
Bee Suit
Beehive
-Hive outer cover
-Inner cover
-Honey Supers
-Queen Excluder
-Brood Chamber/Super which holds 10 frames-research your area to see if you should use two supers instead of one for cold winters
-Bottom board
-Hive stand
-Feeders
You Are a Beekeeper
Whether you have just installed your first hive or you have a full on apiary with several hives, I hope this has been a helpful resource for finding beekeeping suppliers near you.
Beekeeping can be such a rewarding hobby or profession. Make it a point to develop a relationship with local bee enthusiasts and suppliers to make it easier, more rewarding, and to be part of a passionate community.