Please book early as there is limited availability
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LINES
All our lines are well established in the characters to Buckfast selection.
- Low tendency to swarm
- Good balance of bees, stocks and brood throughout the season with a high fertility rate accompanied by bee longevity and vitality
- Parsimony in maintaining honey and pollen reserves in the honeycomb
- Pronounced docility and the bees' ability to remain firmly on the combs
- Good spring recovery with high fertility, accompanied by a high brood care capacity and consequently good bee longevity
- Excellent ability to overwinter and overcome moments of climatic imbalance (returns of cold, drought and intense heat) while maintaining a good population, stocks and a steady brood curve
- Wing strength, sense of direction and harvesting ability
All lines included in our selection programme show a high heritability in the progeny of HYG+ (hygienic behaviour), VSH (varroa resistance traits) and, above all, improved resilience to viral load.
- HYG+ = > 85% open brood and >50% cleaned cells within 12 hours as a result of the pin test, on broodstock.
- Reduced varroa reproduction rate throughout the year due to excellent grooming, de-capping and SMR.
- Reduction and control of viral load through a variety of inherited characteristics:
• negative selective pressure towards the most virulent varroa genotypes, with removal or interruption of their biological cycle.
• opening, removing and cleaning brood damaged by viruses, before they become endemic and spread through the hive.
- SOV (suppressed in ovo virus infection) = hereditary antiviral immune response that causes the decrease or absence of viral load in eggs and reduces or eliminates vertical transmission.
3 Available Lines -
F1 Buckfast 3D VSH+ 2025 (£60 ea)
F0 Buckfast from Isolated Mating Station 2025 (£250 ea)
F0 Tested Buckfast from Isolated Mating Station 2024 (£400 ea)
ISOLATED MATING STATIONS
- MONTE ALPE ISOLATED STATION (ma) (IT)
- BALTRUM ISLAND ISOLATED FECONDATION STATION (bal) (DE)
- ISOLATED SPOORNS FERTILISATION STATION (sp) (IT)
Your Order Includes
- 🐝 A marked, unclipped, Breeder Buckfast Queen, accompanied by 4–6 attendant bees in a slow-release candy introduction cage (Nicot, Lyson, JzBz or equivalent).
- 📄 A full-colour, double-sided instruction guide covering multiple introduction methods and scenarios. View full guidelines here.
- 📦 A ventilated “LIVE BEES” jiffy bag or larger secure box (depending on order size).
Beginner Alert! 🚨 Read This First
You CANNOT start a bee colony with just a queen! A queen accompanied by a few attendants cannot establish a colony. To build a healthy hive, you’ll need a Nuc of bees, which includes a minimum of 10,000 bees. Learn more here.
Why Choose BS Honey Bees Ltd?
We are a small, independent UK business with over a decade of expertise in breeding and selling live bees. In 2011, we revolutionised the online sale of live bees and queens, providing an easy, reliable, and convenient way to buy.
By supporting BS Honey Bees Ltd, you’re supporting the UK economy and a business dedicated to high-quality service and customer satisfaction.
⭐ Don’t just take our word for it – check our Trustpilot reviews -
Our Breeding Standards
Our Breeder Buckfast Queens come from leading European breeders using pedigree lines, including Tenuta Ritiro and Lutz Eggert. These premium genetics ensure breeder queens with exceptional productivity and temperament.
Important Notes
🐝 Acceptance Is Not Guaranteed: A queen may be rejected by your colony even when our instructions are followed. This is beyond our control, and we cannot offer replacements or refunds in such cases.
❗ Cancellations: Any cancelled breeder queen orders incur a £5 restocking/admin fee per queen if cancelled within 7 days. As these Queens are specifically ordered to customers orders, any cancellations after this point are strictly non-refundable.
🚨 We will confirm a date of delivery within your selected month via direct email correspondence.
