Where can you buy the best queens?

[mazzamazda]

Hi,

I have had some problems with Queens bought in over the last few years, same supplier, 2 were drone layers, 2 were drone layers in the spring, one vanished into thin air 3 weeks on.

Where do people recommend for getting in queens, price, quality and not lookling for Buckfast or Carnolian.

I would normally breed some of my own but been on a 4 week holiday and this years weather hasnt been too friendly up north!

Many thanks in advance

Mark

 

[Polyanwood]

I only buy Buckfasts now. Why mess with the rest?
Itallians, too lazy and greedy when the sun doesn't shine
Dark British, too mean at any excuse and queens too lazy to make many bees so didn't give as much honey
Carniolans, completely obsessed with swarming at any excuse

Nothing bad to say about those Bickerstaffs Cecropia crosses, except that some of them weren't resistant to chalkbrood.

Nothing better than a well adapted local mongrel i guess. Just my opinion.

 

[macow]

Talk to Norton, member of the forum.

Mark

 

[Polyanwood]

I thought both Norton and Hivemaker (from whom I have bought excellent queens) sold mostly Buckfast and OP didn't want bukkies? I have also bought queens from peter kemble ( Kemble Bee Supplies in Hastings) - he sells all sorts, some imported. He his reliable and you get what he says.

 

[For want of a better word]

I only buy Buckfasts now. Why mess with the rest?
Itallians, too lazy and greedy when the sun doesn't shine
Dark British, too mean at any excuse and queens too lazy to make many bees so didn't give as much honey
Carniolans, completely obsessed with swarming at any excuse

Nothing bad to say about those Bickerstaffs Cecropia crosses, except that some of them weren't resistant to chalkbrood.

Nothing better than a well adapted local mongrel i guess. Just my opinion.

So called buckfasts I have seen appear to have all of the above traits....
....too lazy and greedy when the sun doesn't shine
....too mean at any excuse and queens too lazy to make many bees so didn't give as much honey
.... completely obsessed with swarming at any excuse

Best queens are ones that are suited to your own particular local conditions and fly in all conditions and brood consistently, not swarmy, are quiet on the comb use little stores and produce reasonable amounts of honey... in these parts it is the local Cornish black bee.... ask around the local and established beekeepers and see what they are keeping!

... each to their own... pollywollydoodle may well be right

[ must admit the Carniolians at my out apiary have a mean streak]

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

had some really nice dark queens this year from Ricky Wilson - very prolific and progeny gentlle and productive (them dark British things!) - ideal for a national hive actually
PM'd you

 

[rolande]

Itallians, too lazy and greedy when the sun doesn't shine

Where did you source these pure race Ligustica? Were they from European breeding or further afield?

 

[mazzamazda]

had some really nice dark queens this year from Ricky Wilson - very prolific and progeny gentlle and productive (them dark British things!) - ideal for a national hive actually
PM'd you

Thanks, ordered 5 queens tonight, sounds a really nice guy with links from up here!

 

[dpearce4]

I know the OP didnt want carnies but I had one of Bees4u's carnies end of last season for a DLQ hive, its been my best hive this year, it has actually got 4 supers on it, most my others have just 1 or 2. Plus gave me 2 supers or OSR which was 50% of my OSR crop so im well impressed with them.

 

[ShaneR]

I know the OP didnt want carnies but I had one of Bees4u's carnies end of last season for a DLQ hive, its been my best hive this year. so im well impressed with them.

I can also recommend Bees4u, she is local to me and I needed a queen for a hive that lost the clipped one in an attempted swarm, hive had no brood whatsoever when I introduced the queen, now 12 frames of bees and 10 1/2 of brood, The progeny of the queen are a dream to work with calm as can be, in fact unbelievably so.

 

[beeboybee]

i have too queens for Bees4u hopefully they are eating there way out of the travels cages as we speak. they looked massive!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks, ordered 5 queens tonight, sounds a really nice guy with links from up here!

Just checked the queen I had from him the beginning of last month now on 10 frames of wall to wall brood so i'm busily supering up! I don't think you'll be disappointed

 

[mazzamazda]

I have 4 of the 5 queens laying very well, prob not a good idea when introducing a queen but I added my thymol treatment as easier and cheaper so probably why the 5th isn't laying, will see in a week or 2, happy so far! Thanks