HONEYBEES

  • 4LB Package w/ Queen $245 (2024 Price)
  • Choice of Carniolan or Buckfast (See Below for Details)
  • Bee Pickup is TBD
  • Deposits Accepted Until April 1st (or until we sell out- deposits are non-refundable)
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Honey Bee Varieties

Carniolan Bees

Carniolan Bees are a subspecies of the western honeybee and originated in what is now Slovenia. They can also be found in Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Serbia.

Pros
Defend their hive well from pests.
Not aggressive toward beekeepers.
Able to quickly adjust hive size based on environmental issues.
Able to conserve honey stores.
Can overwinter with fewer bees.
Less susceptible to brood disease.
Forages in cooler, overcast weather.

Cons
Prone to swarm.
More likely to need supplemental feeding — especially in the early spring.
Has a hard time in hot summers.

Buckfast Bees

Buckfast Bees were developed by Brother Adam who was a monk at Buckfast Abby in England in the early 1900s. He was in charge of the bees in the Abby during the time when the acarine parasite mite (a tracheal mite) invaded and killed thousands of bee colonies across England. He took the hives that survived and started a breeding program which eventually produced the Buckfast bees.

Pros
High honey producers
Good foragers
Low inclination to swarm
Low inclination to sting
Cold hardy and seem to overwinter well
High tracheal mite tolerance

Cons
The biggest con to Buckfast bees is that if you let them naturally requeen, the second generation likely to be aggressive. So you will need to continue to purchase Buckfast queens in order to keep the aggressiveness low.