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Bees For Sale

Bees For Sale

Bees for sale and queen bees for sale are offered from our own breeding work, based in Haltwhistle, Northumberland.

Northumberland Honey Co are proud to be one of the few dedicated UK bee breeders with over 20 years of bee breeding experience. Avoiding importing breeder queens, producing our own UK adapted bees for sale and queen bees for sale with advanced breeding techniques.

Queen bees are for sale and pre-order throughout the year, along with virgin queens, queen cells, nucleus colonies and package bees. All our bees come with a drone layer guarantee safeguarding you in the event a queen becomes a drone layer.

Queen Bees Update W/C 9th June 2025

Next mated queen availability is Buckfast queens for pre-order for W/C 16th June.

Simply click Queen Bees For Sale then Buckfast Queens and select your delivery week (W/C 16th June 2025 and your delivery day)

You can also pre-order for later in the season.

As of Friday 13th June we have limited availability of Buckfast virgin queens for delivery on Saturday 14th June.

Queen Bees For Sale
Package Bees For Sale
Bee Health and Accreditation
Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Queen Bees For Sale

Buckfast Queen Bees For Sale and Northumberland Dark Bees For Sale are raised and bred at our facility in Haltwhistle, Northumberland, UK.
 
We offer two different types of bee, Northumberland Dark Bee or Northumberland Buckfast from VSH (varroa sensitive and hygienic breeder queens). A cornerstone of our bee breeding work is varroa sensitivity, working towards breeding bees that are both adapted to the UK climate and tolerate varroa well.
 
Each season we go through lengthy selection processes and daughter testing to bring forward only the best queens of our stock for breeding from, selecting from over 500 colonies.
 
We also guarantee all queens if they become drone layers within the first 6 weeks. Subject to availability. We pride ourselves on customer service and follow up.
 

How to Buy Bee Colonies

Order via the online shop, link to buy bee colonies below below.

Please note colonies of bees are for collection only. We only post Queen Bees.

Choose between, overwintered or summer nucleus colonies or package bees.

Buy Bees Online

How to Buy Queen Bees

Order via the online shop, link to buy Queen Bees below.

Choose your queen, select your delivery week and delivery day. 

You’ll receive your queen(s) on the delivery day selected.

 

Buy Queen Bees Online

Next Day Queen Bees?

When we have queen bees for sale for next day delivery this will be available to select on the order. Under delivery week the option for ‘Next Day Delivery‘ will become available, with stock levels live on the website.

Order by 1pm for same day despatch. Next Day Queen orders placed after 1pm will be despatched the following day.

Any specific order or delivery instructions can be placed on the ‘order notes’ section on the checkout page.

Buy Queen Bees Online

Browse & Buy Queen Bees

About our Queen Bees

Queen Bees are bred by Northumberland Honey Co on the Cumbria/ Northumberland border in the Irthing Valley.
 
We offer two different types of bee, Northumberland Dark Bee or Northumberland Buckfast from VSH (varroa sensitive and hygienic breeder queens)
 
For full line information, origin and performance information see our dedicated queens for sale page / queen rearing page.
 
Each season we go through lengthy selection processes and daughter testing to bring forward only the best queens of our stock for breeding from, selecting from over 400 colonies.
 

Order Process

Order via the online shop, link below – select your chosen delivery week and delivery day. When we have queens available for next day availability this can be selected on the order and we’ll ship asap for next day delivery. Order by 2pm for same day despatch.

Mated, Virgin and Instrumentally Inseminated Queens are available.
 
Mated Queen Pricing 2025
1-2 Queens £49
3-5 Queens £47
6-10 Queens £43
11-20 Queens £40
21-30 Queens £39
40-50 Queens £38
50+ Queens £37
 
Virgin Queens
£19 each
 
 Trade accounts for multiple purchases also available, please call or e-mail to discuss.
Read More about our Bee Breeding Work

Browse & Buy Colonies of Bees

Nucleus Colonies & Full Colonies

Bees for Sale as Nucleus colonies cover 5 frames on British Standard National Frames.
Overwintered nucleus colonies for the 2025 season are available to pre-order, as these are limited number please order in good time. We may be able to provide 14 x 12 and langstroth colonies. Please contact us if you require these formats. Nucleus colonies can be pre-ordered via the shop page – link below.
 
Please note, nucleus colonies 2025 are now pre-booked, any surplus colonies will be listed on the shop page, link below.
 
Please note:
Colonies of bees are for collection only.
 
Buy Colony of Bees Online
Overwintered Nucleus Colony For Sale | Northumberland Honey Company
Package Bees For Sale

Package Bees For Sale

Package bees are offered for sale for collection at the start of June each season. Made from our own bees and queens we make these packages from 1.5kg of young bees.

Perfect for stocking foundationless hive systems, such as warre and top bar hives, package bees are very versatile. They can also be used for starting bees on completely fresh combs.

Package bees are produced by us only on limited numbers each year as we utilise a significant number of young bees ourselves to stock our own mating nucs for queen rearing. However we are always increasing the number of package bees we produce to help provide a quality source of package bees from the UK and help to reduce reliance on imports of bees generally.

Please note – Pre Orders:

Package Bees for 2025 are now fully allocated, any surplus packages will be listed on the shop page, link below.

Please note:
Package bees are for collection only.
 
Package bees for the 2026 season will be available to pre-order from 1st October 2025 when our next season bee pre-orders go live.
Buy Package Bees

Disease Assurance Scheme in Honeybees (DASH)

Northumberland Honey Co are members of the Bee Farmers Association, and are members of the Disease Assurance Scheme in Honeybees ensuring the highest possible quality of bees.

Northumberland is also lucky in that it has one of the lowest rates of notifiable brood disease in the country with both European and American Foulbrood virtually unheard of in our area. You can review this on the disease incidence map on bee base.

Coupled with our closed system of not collecting swarms, bringing bees in or migrating our bees outside of our area we are hopeful to retain this low disease status. 

Where-ever you buy bees from, please ensure you check the disease status on the NBU disease incidence map on bee base of the area close to where the bees are coming from, you certainly don’t want to be buying in any problems!

Bee Health and DASH | Disease Assurance Scheme in Honeybees

Queen Bee Availability

Beekeeper / Apprentice Vacancy

Why Buy From Us?

Free Shipping

Fast Free Shipping orders over £30 *excludes bee orders*

Personalise Your Order

Write a gift message at the checkout to include a beeswax dipped message

Fast Despatch

Order by 1pm for same day despatch - as standard

Family Business

We care and follow up your order

Credentials

Bee Farmers Association | Meadery
Leader Logo
Drinkaware Logo

Company Information

Company Number:  09432006

VAT Number:  233561914

AWRS URN: – Ask if needed

Office Number:  01434 322981

Address: Unit 6C, Haltwhistle Industrial Estate, Northumberland, NE49 9HA

E-mail: lukeandsuzie@northumberlandhoney.co.uk

Northumberland Honey Co
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