Italian Ligustica Mated Queen
£45.00
Italian Ligustica Mated Queen Bee
Experience one of the world’s most celebrated honey bee subspecies with our Italian Ligustica Mated Queen Bees. Bred for productivity, gentleness, and resilience, these queens are the foundation of many of the most successful apiaries across Europe.
At Black Mountain Honey, we take pride in offering premium Italian queens that combine beauty, performance, and proven genetic stability.
Why Choose Italian Ligustica Queen Bees
Our Italian Mated Queens are renowned for their prolific egg-laying, disease resistance, and consistent honey production. Carefully bred and mated for superior traits, they produce strong, well-balanced colonies capable of sustained performance across diverse environments.
Key characteristics include:
Prolific Brood Production: Exceptional laying rate resulting in powerful, fast-growing colonies.
Gentle Temperament: Calm behaviour ideal for beginner and professional beekeepers alike.
Excellent Honey Yield: Highly efficient foragers that convert nectar into strong honey crops.
Adaptability: Proven success in a wide range of climates, from warm Mediterranean summers to cooler temperate regions.
The Heritage of the Italian Honey Bee
The Italian Ligustica bee (Apis mellifera ligustica) originates from the northern and central regions of Italy, south of the Alps. It is one of the most widely distributed honey bee subspecies worldwide, renowned for its adaptability and gentle nature. Italian bees are excellent comb builders and maintain strong colonies throughout the season, making them ideal for honey production and pollination.
Considerations for UK Beekeepers
While Italian Ligustica bees thrive in most temperate environments, they are best suited to regions with milder winters and stable nectar flows. Due to their Mediterranean heritage, they maintain brood for longer into the autumn and form looser winter clusters, which can increase food consumption in colder climates. With appropriate feeding management, however, they perform exceptionally well across much of the UK - just ensure they are fed well and treated for varroa.
Why Buy from Black Mountain Honey
Every Italian Ligustica Mated Queen Bee we supply is bred with precision, care, and respect for the integrity of the bloodline. Our queens are raised under professional conditions, securely shipped, and supported by expert aftercare from our experienced team.
Join the growing community of beekeepers who have transformed their hives with our Italian Ligustica Mated Queens – queens that embody elegance, productivity, and the enduring legacy of one of beekeeping’s most respected bloodlines.
Black Mountain Honey – trusted suppliers of premium Italian Ligustica Queen Bees for productive, gentle, and resilient colonies.
Quantity
Shipping Info
24hr Royal Mail Special Delivery (Pre 1pm). Signature REQUIRED. Queens are guaranteed to arrive alive. CANNOT be posted through letter box - £9.50.
Queens are forecast to arrive the day AFTER 'day of dispatch'. We are unable to guarantee the day or time of delivery.
We guarantee the live arrival of your queens using ONLY THE ROYAL MAIL SPECIAL DELIVERY SERVICE (£9.50). If queens arrived damaged or dead, we will replace free of charge when paying for the premium Special Delivery service.
Please ensure your address is 100% correct. We cannot be held liable for any failed deliveries if the address is incorrect or you aren't available to sign for your delivery.
Dead on Arrival
We will replace Queens that arrive dead on arrival ONLY if they are still in their SEALED cage and reported within 8 hrs of the FIRST recorded delivery slot. You will be required to take a video of the queen alongside a copy of your order number. All dead queens must be returned to us in their sealed cages.
We only offer our 'dead on arrival' guarantee when using the Premium Royal Mail Special Delivery option.
All queens sent using RM 24 ARE NOT COVERED IF THEY DIE WHILST IN TRANSIT, REGARDLESS OF ANY DELAYS INCURRED WHILST WITH THE COURIER.
Important Delivery Dates
To ensure you receive your queens at the right time, please select a date of DISPATCH. The queens will arrive the following day. If you select 'ASAP' we will send them as soon as they are available but queens that are ordered against specific dates will take priority.
Queens are forecast to arrive the day AFTER 'day of dispatch'. We are unable to guarantee the day of delivery.
Cancellations
ALL CANCELLED ORDERS WILL INCUR A £5 RESTOCKING AND PAYMENT PROCESSING FEE.
We work closely with our breeders to ensure we have a steady supply of queens and cancelled orders make it very difficult for us to accurately assess the needs throughout the course of the year.
Our payment processing facility on the website incurs fees regardless of whether the balance is refunded to the customer.
From Sunday 17th July 2022 all cancelled orders will incur a £5 surcharge. By placing an order on this website, you acknowledge and accept that any transaction that is cancelled, will incur a £5 cancellation charge.
Full Description
Italian Ligustica Mated Queen
When ordering Italian Ligustica Mated Queens you will receive the following:
- A marked, open mated, Italian Ligustica Mated Queen in a slow release queen introduction cage. Queens are not clipped and we do not offer this service. If you order more than one queen, they will arrive in separate cages (along with attendant bees).
- A5 introduction postcard detailing successful methods for introduction and QR codes for support videos on our YouTube channel.
- Orders will arrive in a ventilated cardboard container. Your consignment will require a signature on arrival.
- On placement of order you will receive an email confirmation. On the day of dispatch, you will receive a tracking code which can be tracked at Royal MaiL
Queens should be introduced to the beehives as soon as they are delivered. They can be introduced into a colony on the same day as dispatching the queen but fondant tabs should only be opened once the colony is hopelessly queenless.
Here is a link to our YouTube channel on how to successfully introduce queens. We cannot be held liable for any failed queen introductions. Bees are wild creatures and successful introduction is never guaranteed.
Mated queen bees are natural creatures and although we can advise you on how to achieve the best introduction success, we cannot be held liable for any failed queen introductions.
Origin
Italian bees, having been conditioned to the warmer climate of the central Mediterranean, are less able to cope with the "hard" winters and cool, wet springs of more northern latitudes. They do not form such tight winter clusters. More food has to be consumed to compensate for the greater heat loss from the loose cluster. The tendency to raise broods late in autumn also increases food consumption.
Royal Mail Special Delivery
We send all of our live products using Royal Mail's Special Delivery Service
DASH Accredited
As responsible, sustainable and committed bee farmers, we hold full DASH accreditation.
Customer Service
Got a question? Drop us a message or call. We are always happy to help you!
Reviews
So pleased with these queens. Had one last year and this year she was hands down my best queen. Great honey production and not too swarmy.
Just purchased another one to make up a nuc ready for the spring. Lovely healthy queen delivered Friday and laying by Monday. Thanks BMH.
Thanks for adjusting my order
Hennie