Your queen is the single most important bee in the colony. Get her right and everything gets easier. Get her wrong and you’ll spend the season fighting problems. These guides walk you through choosing, introducing, and managing queens, using the exact methods we use here every day.
- Written from real experience rearing and introducing thousands of queens
- Step-by-step so you know exactly what to do and when
- Honest about what can go wrong and how to put it right
Every guide is free, practical, and based on how we actually work with our own bees.
Whether you’re introducing your first queen, requeening a bad-tempered colony, or having a go at rearing your own, the guides below cover it. Pick the one you need and take it one step at a time.
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Mated queens, bred calm before anything else
Calm Buckfast mated queens, hand-selected for temperament, reliable laying and strong honey production. Bred for colonies that are easier and calmer to manage.
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British queen bees: are UK reared queens worth it?
Thinking about British queens? Here’s what UK reared and mated queens actually give you, and how to pick a supplier you can trust.
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How to requeen a beehive
The reliable slow-release method we use to swap a failing or aggressive queen for a calm, well-bred one, explained step by step.
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Raise your own queens. Know exactly what you’ve got.
Buying queens is easy. Rearing them is satisfying, cost-effective, and gives you control over your colony genetics. It sounds complicated. It isn’t.
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Introducing a Queen to a Laying Worker Colony
How to spot a laying worker colony and fix it the reliable way, so your new queen has the best possible chance.
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Which Queen is Right for My Setup
Not sure which queen to buy? Here’s a simple, no-nonsense guide to the queens we sell, what each one is good at, and how to pick the right one for your hive.
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Six reasons to replace your queen
Requeening can feel like a drastic step. But knowing when and why to do it is one of the most important skills in beekeeping.
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Are My Bees Queenless?
Worrying about whether your colony is queenless is one of the most common anxieties in beekeeping. The good news is there’s a simple, reliable test that gives you a definitive answer, no guesswork required.
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Calm bees. Happier beekeeping.
Aggressive bees make every inspection feel like a battle. If you’re dreading your next visit to the hive, you’re not alone, and it doesn’t have to stay that way.
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Standard vs premium queens: which should you choose?
Confused about standard vs premium queens? Here’s how to pick the right queen for your hive, whether you want great value or the very best.
