Carefully selected Buckfast and Carniolan queens, bred and handled with a focus on calm temperament, performance, and suitability for UK conditions. All queens are supplied marked and shipped with our live-arrival guarantee.
Buying a queen bee is one of the most important decisions a beekeeper makes. The right queen sets the temperament, productivity, and long-term health of the colony, while the wrong choice can lead to frustration, rejection, or poor performance.
We supply Buckfast and Carniolan queen bees to UK beekeepers, each suited to different management styles and priorities. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, our aim is to help you choose a queen that fits your experience level, local conditions, and goals for the season.
Buckfast queens are known for their calm handling, steady build-up, and strong all-round performance, making them a popular choice for many beekeepers. Carniolan queens are valued for their rapid spring expansion, efficient overwintering, and suitability for more conservative colony management.
All queens supplied by Jurassic Bees are carefully selected, clearly marked, and prepared with UK conditions in mind. Whether you are replacing a failing queen, increasing colony numbers, or planning ahead for the season, choosing the right queen type makes the process simpler and more predictable.
Start here. Pick the queen type that matches your colony goals and experience level, then choose the right option from the current availability.
Calm handling and strong all-round performance. A dependable choice for many UK beekeepers.
Rapid spring expansion and efficient overwintering. Suits beekeepers who manage space proactively.
Best for mating nucs, breeding work, or beekeepers confident managing mating success and timings.
Queen success depends as much on your colony setup and timing as it does on the queen herself. This quick plan helps you choose the right type and introduce her with the best chance of acceptance.
If you want the simplest, most predictable route, choose a mated queen. Choose a virgin queen if you’re running mating nucs or are confident managing mating success and timing.
Acceptance is highest in a well-fed colony with open brood and the right pheromone balance. The colony must be truly queenless and free from active queen cells before introduction.
Introduce the queen using a slow-release method, avoid heavy disturbance, and give the colony time to settle. A calm, methodical introduction reduces rejection and helps the queen start laying quickly.
Reliable queens come from a balanced approach: proven breeding lines, careful selection, and mating in conditions that reflect how colonies are actually managed in the UK.
Our programme begins with carefully selected breeder queens chosen for temperament, brood pattern, productivity, and overall colony behaviour. These traits matter more in day-to-day beekeeping than single headline characteristics.
The mated queens we supply are F1 daughters of selected breeders. This provides consistency and hybrid vigour while allowing colonies to adapt to local conditions — a practical balance for UK beekeepers.
Queens are mated in controlled environments using carefully managed drone sources. This helps produce colonies that are calm to handle and suited to the climate and forage typical of British apiaries.
All of our queens are shipped via Royal Mail Special Delivery in secure packaging, with attendants and fondant for their comfort. We guarantee your queen will arrive alive and healthy — giving you peace of mind when ordering online.
A little preparation makes queen introduction far more reliable. These short guides cover the most common questions we see from UK beekeepers and will help you avoid the usual pitfalls.
Before introducing a new queen, it’s essential to confirm the colony is truly queenless and free from active queen cells.
Timing affects acceptance and performance. Learn how seasonality, weather, and colony condition influence success.
Not sure which type to choose? This guide explains the practical differences and which option suits your setup.
Choose from Northern Denmark Buckfast or Slovenian Carniolan queens, reared and tested in Dorset for the UK climate.
How to Introduce a QueenAll of our queens — both virgin and mated — are supplied marked. This small but important detail makes beekeeping easier and ensures transparency.
Marking ensures you can clearly see and identify your queen, giving you confidence that the virgin or mated queen introduced is the same queen you purchased.
Research and our own results show that marked virgin queens achieve the same level of successful mating as unmarked queens — with the added benefit of being easier to find in the colony.
We use Royal Mail Special Delivery (next-day by 1pm). Queens are packed securely with attendants and fondant to ensure safe arrival.
We usually ship early in the week to avoid weekend delays. The exact timing depends on weather conditions and queen readiness.
Use a slow-release method into a queenless colony. For full steps, see our Hive How-To’s guide.
Virgin queens are shipped when they are 5 days old. This allows them time in our queen bank to be fed and strengthened by nurse bees before travel.
Virgin queens usually go on mating flights within a few days of introduction. They are typically in lay within 2 weeks, making them comparable to imported queens (which often take the same time after transport before laying again).
We recommend introducing virgin queens into smaller colonies such as nucs or mini mating hives (e.g. Apideas). In smaller colonies they mate faster and establish more reliably.
Yes — all our queens, both mated and virgin, are supplied marked. This makes them easier to find in a colony and gives you confidence that the queen introduced is the same one purchased. Marking does not affect mating success.
Choose from our current availability of Buckfast and Carniolan queens, bred for calm behaviour, strong brood patterns, and reliable performance in the UK climate.
