5.0
What a beauty
I am so pleased with my new HRH. She is strong, and very beautiful. Started laying almost immediately. Delighted!
Caroline Rawson
- DASH Accredited
- Bee Farmers Association Member
- Healthy Delivery Guaranteed
Obsidian Queen Bees
Our darkest queen line. Calm to work, heavy on fragrant propolis, and happy to fly in cooler weather. The one to choose if you want calm bees with real character.
Standard or premium?
Both options give you calm, productive Buckfast queens from quality-assured breeding programmes. Here’s how to decide:
Choose Standard if:
- You’re looking for a reliable, well-bred queen at excellent value
- You’re requeening a colony or starting a nuc
- You want proven Buckfast genetics without the premium price tag
Choose Premium if:
- You want the absolute calmest queens we offer
- You’re requeening a particularly aggressive colony
- You want access to more exclusive genetic lines, including queens bred from breeder queens that can cost upwards of £1,000 each
- You’re building out your breeding stock and want superior mating conditions with greater drone isolation
Still not sure?
The honest answer is that Standard queens are genuinely very good, and most beekeepers will be delighted with them.
Premium queens come from more exclusive breeding lines and are mated under stricter isolation conditions, which gives you a higher ceiling on calmness and consistency. If temperament is your absolute priority, Premium is worth the extra investment.
Why Obsidian Queens?
Obsidian Queens are the darkest bees we raise, and they’ve got the most character. If you love the look of a dark bee but want something calm and easy to work in a garden hive, this is the line for you.
They aren’t AMM, and we’re upfront about that, so what you get is the dark look a lot of people love with a calm, practical temperament that suits everyday beekeeping.
- The darkest bees we sell. A proper dark bee on the frame, with the look people associate with native, AMM-type bees, but bred for calm.
- Calm and gentle to work. Dark bees have a reputation for being a handful. Ours aren’t. Handling is right up there with our Buckfast lines, so they suit garden hives, newer beekeepers, and anyone who wants a dark bee without a difficult temperament.
- Huge propolis production. Far more than a normal colony, with that gorgeous sticky, resinous smell. Brilliant for apitherapy or trapping propolis. It does make the hive a bit stickier to work, but for most Obsidian keepers that’s part of the appeal.
- A longer tongue, different honey. They reach nectar other bees can’t, so you get your own flavour, aroma, and colour. As Laurence puts it, “you can sometimes get more, but you always get different.”
- Built for UK weather. They fly in cooler conditions and keep foraging in light drizzle, which keeps the colony steady through a typical British season.
- A steady build-up. Slower out of the blocks than Buckfast, but steady across the whole season. If you want raw spring power, choose Buckfast. If you want a calm, dark bee with real character, Obsidian is the one.
After you order
After you order:
- You’ll receive an order confirmation with expected dispatch and delivery dates
- We’ll send tracking information when your queen ships
- Your queen arrives in a secure postal cage with attendant bees and food
- You’ll have introduction guides and videos ready to go
- Contact us any time if you need help — there are NO silly questions
Ongoing support:
We don’t disappear after the sale. You can contact us before, during, and after introduction. We’ve also got a library of YouTube videos, guides, blog posts, and live streams that cover most questions before you even need to ask them.
- Safe arrival guarantee. DOA queens replaced free of charge, no arguments.
- Unlimited support. Help before, during, and after introduction, plus guides and videos.
- Backed by Laurence’s guarantee. If there’s ever an issue with temperament, we’ll work with you to put it right.
What beekeepers say
Learn why beekeepers choose us.5.0
Queen
She is doing well ! Very nice Queen very quiet but I did think she would be a little darker in colour
William Sessions
5.0
Obsidian Queen
Very healthy queen as always from BMH
Settled in quickly to requeened colony and laying well. Super calm too!
Craig Hunt
5.0
Obsidian Mated Queen
She arrived safe and sound with her attendants….popped in for 3 days into a queen less hive for 38 days….wow looks like they love her. Popped the tab and placed her back. Fingers crossed as she’s gorgeous.
Claudine
Frequently asked questions
We guarantee safe arrival when using our Royal Mail Special Delivery service (£9.99). If your queen arrives dead or damaged, contact us immediately with a photo and we’ll send a replacement free of charge. No arguments, no hassle.
UK delivery is £9.99 via Royal Mail Special Delivery. This is a signature-required, tracked service that ensures your queens arrive safely. Please make sure your delivery address is 100% correct. We cannot be held liable for failed deliveries if the address is incorrect or you’re not available to sign.
Queens are shipped in secure postal cages with attendant bees and food via Royal Mail Special Delivery (£9.99). This is a signature-required service and cannot be posted through your letterbox. Delivery is tracked so you know exactly when to expect them. We’ve shipped thousands of queens safely using this method.
Queens are forecast to arrive the day after your selected dispatch date. We use Royal Mail Special Delivery (pre-1pm service), but we cannot guarantee the exact day or time of delivery as this is controlled by Royal Mail. When you place your order, we’ll confirm your dispatch date and expected arrival window.
We’ve got you covered. You’ll receive introduction instructions with your queen, and we have detailed guides and videos showing exactly how to introduce her to your colony safely. If you get stuck, contact us. We’re here to help every step of the way.
You’ll start to notice a difference within 3-4 weeks as the old queen’s brood is replaced by the new queen’s offspring. Within 6-8 weeks, the temperament shift should be very noticeable. By 10-12 weeks, the colony will be fully transitioned to the new queen’s genetics and temperament.
The Buckfast is a honey bee hybrid originally developed at Buckfast Abbey in Devon by Brother Adam. It’s known for its calm temperament, disease resistance, and strong honey production. Our UK Queens are bred by established Buckfast breeders who have built on those foundations over many years of selective breeding.
Both are Buckfast queens from quality-assured external breeding programmes. Premium queens are selected from more exclusive genetic lines — breeder queens for these lines can cost upwards of £1,000 each — and are mated in superior conditions with greater drone isolation. The result is a higher ceiling on calmness and genetic consistency. Standard queens are still carefully selected and represent excellent value. Most beekeepers will be very happy with either choice.
Helpful guides
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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. -
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. -
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. -
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.
understand your new queen
Want to understand queen biology, introduction techniques, and requeening strategies in depth? Our Queens course module walks you through everything from selection to introduction to troubleshooting failed introductions.
