Who We Are
In 1994, my wife noticed that our neighbor's apple trees had way more apples than the ones growing in our yard. I, being a "why" person, needed to know more. After talking with my neighbor, I learned the secret of his success was mason bees. The following year, I experimented with a bee hotel in my backyard and watched my apple trees flourish. I was hooked! Years later, my passion took over, and I decided I had to find a way to help these fantastic pollinators thrive. So, I converted my garage into a workspace, and in 2008 Crown Bees was born.
Over the years, we outgrew the garage. And, while we're still a small company, we've had a significant impact. We've set the standard for best practices in solitary bee raising through collaborations with researchers, peers, and community groups. With that knowledge, we've helped thousands of gardeners and farmers across the United States and Canada grow fresh, healthy food. In our most recent years, we’ve adjusted our thinking to “think like a bee” which has allowed us to innovate our products.
The desire to know "why" still drives Crown Bees, keeps us informed on current challenges facing our bee populations, and brings us together to find sustainable solutions. We hope you join us in asking why. You never know. That curiosity might bring awareness and change to the world!
- Dave Hunter, Founder & Owner of Crown Bees
OUR MISSION
We help people raise healthy solitary cavity-nesting bees by offering the right supplies, support, and easy-to-follow programs. Guided by science and always “thinking like a bee,” our products and advice keep bees safe and grow vibrant bee-raiser communities.
OUR VISION
We see a future where healthy solitary and wild bees flourish, pollinating more blooms, producing abundant food, and sharing bee keeping knowledge.
OUR VALUES
Our values, listed below, help guide our decision-making in better ways for the Crown Bees' team, our customers, our bees, and our environment.
BEE HEALTH FIRST
Our criteria for healthy bees rest on meticulous harvesting techniques to remove pests and pollutants, educating our bee raisers about research-based best practices and bee-safe products, and sorting our cocoons by ecoregions to give the bees a better chance of survival when they emerge in the spring.
SUPPORTING HOME AND COMMUNITY FOOD GARDENS
We strengthen access to fresh fruits and vegetables by supporting both community and home gardens. Through programs like our Community Garden Pollination initiative—and a deep commitment to educating and supporting growers—we help boost garden yields and build confidence in raising bees.
COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION
By “thinking like a bee”, we partner with beekeepers, researchers, schools, universities, nonprofits, and government agencies to tackle the challenges facing our bee populations. By working together and sharing ideas, we spark creative solutions that inspire people everywhere to join the effort.
KNOWLEDGE SHARING
We believe sharing knowledge is key to success. Through community programs, school resources, our evidence-based online library, newsletters, blogs, and support, we encourage individuals to address food insecurity, sustainability, and solitary bee conservation—inviting everyone to learn and contribute to healthier bee populations.
OUR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS
Much of our success can be attributed to our partnerships with beekeepers, researchers, retailers, universities, and nonprofits to stay abreast of the current challenges facing our pollinator populations and to bring together the best practices for solving those challenges.
Check out our list of friends and partners who help us bring cavity-nesting bees, habitat, and education to communities across North America!
Dave Hunter
Founder & Owner
Enjoys hiking in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and dog.
So much to discover!
Kellie
Customer Service
Enjoys exploring new trails, finding joy in gardening, and delights in visiting novel destinations with my husband on the motorcycle.
Tina
Finance
Enjoys spending quality time with family/friends, attending sporting events, boating, surfing, hiking, traveling, & visiting wineries.
Julie
Marketing & Communications
A Wisconsin-transplant who enjoys hiking, gaming, gardening, and camping with her family.
Kylie
Business Development Manager
Enjoys being a virtual world landscape/interior designer, graphic artist, and creating visual magic out of absolutely nothing.
Sophie
Office Manager & Greeter
She loves pets, scritches, and long walks.
