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Dan Gunderson

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Each spring, hundreds of amateur beekeepers descend on Hackensack, Minn., to pick up boxes of bees from Jack Thomas, who may also deliver some honest advice if he doesn't think you're up to the task of keeping those bees alive. Come along for Bee Day.

Bee Day in Hackensack: Here are your bees, don't kill 'em

Betty Thomas said that she loves the smiles when people pick up the bees. 

Monika Lawrence for MPR News

Having escaped their crates, worker bees try to take care of the queen.

Queen bees are kept in individual little wooden cages.

Jesse Koskiniemi concentrates as he carries two crates full of bees.

Patrick Montague from Mann Lake hands over a set of bee crates.

Mann Lake is a global supplier in the beekeeping industry. 

Betty and Jack Thomas knew nothing about beekeeping when they began.

A smooth pick-up process let customers leave quickly with their bees.

Leslie and Gregg Atkinson are beginning their third season of beekeeping.

Mann Lake has grown from a small family enterprise.

Co-founder of Mann Lake Ltd., Betty Thomas grew up on a farm.

Hobby beekeepers may have only one hive to produce some honey.

Bees are shipped from California to be picked up by hobby beekeepers.

Jack Thomas started a business as a supplier of beekeeping equipment.

Jack Thomas said they are expecting about 600 customers on Bee Day.

Many customers also came to to stock up on beekeeping equipment.

A customer checks out protective beekeeping headgear.

The company’s industrial customers use as many as 120,000 colonies each.

Bee Day in Hackensack: Here are your bees, don't kill 'em

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