Which Queen Bee Is Best for Your Hive?

Dr. Peter Stöfen • Ivan Bjorholm Nielsen • Keld Brandstrup • Tenuta Ritiro • Lutz Eggert

The F1 Buckfast is our most popular queen — and for good reason. She is bred from elite European stock lines renowned for consistency, productivity, and gentle temperament.

Key traits:

• Exceptionally calm on the comb
  
• Strong honey producers
  
• Rapid spring build-up
  
• Low swarming tendency
  
• Superb all-round performance

Best for: Beginners, hobbyists, and commercial beekeepers wanting reliability and high performance.

Carniolans are famous for their silky-smooth temperaments and rapid population growth at the start of the season.

Key traits:

• Very gentle & easy to handle
  
• Rapid early build-up
  
• Excellent overwintering ability
  
• Efficient use of stores
  
• Great for cooler climates

Best for: Beekeepers wanting docility, rapid spring expansion & strong winter survival.

Reared in Essex, these queens provide the benefits of Buckfast genetics with local UK mating. A great option for those preferring a home-reared queen.

Key traits:

• Calm & beginner-friendly
  
• Consistent brood pattern
  
• Great honey yield
  
• Locally mated within the UK

Best for: Beekeepers who prefer UK-reared queens, hobbyists, and those wanting locally adapted stock.

F0, F0 Tested & F1 3D VSH+ Queens for serious professionals

These queens are for beekeepers focused on breeding, varroa resistance, and genetic improvement. They come from carefully selected, performance-tested lines.

Key traits:

• Highest-grade genetics
  
• Ideal for producing quality daughters
  
• Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH+) lines available
  
• F0 Tested queens for professional operations

Best for: Advanced beekeepers, breeders, and bee farmers