Stocked from floor to ceiling with beekeeping gear and knowledge, The Bee Supply provides a learning space for Round Rock’s beekeeping community.

The background

The Bee Supply was founded in 2016 by Blake, Lyndon and Tammy Shook. The business has three locations, including one in Round Rock which opened in April 2023. City officials have also been promising a place for the beekeeping community since Round Rock City Council passed the Bee City USA resolution in 2022.

Store Manager Becky Barajas was first introduced to beekeeping about 11 years ago, when her ex-husband purchased bees for their farm in Tennessee. Despite being allergic to bees, she said she wanted to make sure they were being taken care of properly.

Barajas moved to Texas five years ago and joined The Bee Supply team in February 2023, before the store’s opening. She said it’s important to support bees for a multitude of reasons, such as their ability to pollinate a majority of the food animals eat.


“Have you ever heard the term, ‘You're the bee's knees?’” Barajas asked. “Bees carry their pollen on an area right near what would be considered their knee, and it's pollen from several different varieties that they're pollinating. When someone says that, that means you are the world to that person or you have accomplished the world, because bees play such a critical part.”

Respecting the craft

From mead making to honey extraction classes, the store offers educational opportunities for anyone interested in supporting bees. In addition to classes, the business hosts a free monthly webinar and sends out a free monthly magazine.

The Bee Supply sells equipment like hive boxes, bee feed and live bees and queens. It’s also the only distributor in the world of the Super Suit, according to its website. Super Suits are triple layered and ventilated, which offers increased protection against stings compared to the traditional cotton bee suit.


In their own words

“I want people when they walk into this store to know there's no judgment here,” Barajas said. “We're here to help you—beekeeper to beekeeper. We're here to help you on your journey, from just getting started to more advanced topics in beekeeping. There's no such thing as dumb question. We're all just keeping bugs in a box.”