Locally Adapted Mated Queens

At Broadsbee we believe that the future of honeybees in the UK is best safeguarded by avoiding the import of stock from overseas.  This helps to safeguard against the introduction of new pests and disease whilst also ensuring that the bees which we keep are best suited to the climate of the British Isles.  For that reason we select our Queen Mothers by carefully choosing from our own colonies in the heart of the Norfolk Broads.

We score our queens through the season based on their temperament, their productivity, both brood and honey, their swarming tendencies and then as we come out of the winter each year, how well they have come through and started to lay again.  From this information we use the best that we have to produce Queens for our own operation and to offer for sale.

Our Mated Queens are Open Mated at various sites in Norfolk and then allowed to lay for at least a further 14 days.  We like to see that they are proving themselves in the mating nucs and research shows that a Queen which has been allowed to establish herself is more likely to be accepted when later introduced to a new colony.  We don't rush our Queens to market.

If we are showing Queens in stock, then we will despatch the day after ordering.  If we are showing out of stock please do email for an eta on our next expected Queens.

Please note we will only post within the UK.