Lagrant's Northern Bred Queens

Looking to split one or more honeybee colonies? Need to replace an aging queen? Selecting a northern bred queen from Lagrant's will help you maintain a strong, healthy colony.  

Update For 2012 Queen & Nuc Season 

What a difference a year makes! The start of 2012 has brought us one of the mildest winters in recent memory. I'm hopeful that the warmer temperatures will help the colonies overwinter and balance out some of the losses from 2011.

There are a few other changes to our business that I'd like to share with you. First, with the increased demands for local queens, and the struggles by the US postal service to maintain their priority service, I have decided to suspend all shipments of queens until further notice. You'll still be able to pick up the queens in Ware. While you're in town, consider stopping by Lagrant's Beekeeping Supplies located just down the street. But remember to call ahead!

Secondly, due to increased demands  of my full-time job, I don't expect to have as much time as I'd like to devote to raising queens. Since I know my supply will be limited, I will no longer be taking pre-orders for queens, or maintaining a wait list. Quees will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please drop me an e-mail or phone call to find out what is currently available.

Finally, some good news, I am planning on having a limited number of nucleus hives available this spring. For those of you looking to expand your apiary, or looking for a fresh start, please consider a northern bred nucleus hive. As with the queens, I will not be maintaining a wait list, and nucs will be available on a first-come first serve basis.

Availability of queens and nucs will be updated in the banner you see at the top of this page. Please check back - when the weather warms up - to find out what is in stock.

Sincerely,

Jim Lagrant

Why Northern Bred Queens?

Northern bred queens will thrive in any environment, but they are particularly resilient in colder temperatures. Unlike their southern-bred counterparts, Northern bred queens are acclimated to winter weather.

To date, our colonies have not succumbed to colony collapse disorder (CCD), which has plagued beekeepers across the country in recent years. Our queens come from stock that has had no contact with southern bred bees for more than thirty-five years.

 Why Lagrant's Northern-Bred Queens?

• Our hives are managed for raising queens - not pollination, honey production or creating nucleus hives. You can be sure our queens are healthy and non-stressed.
• As a small, family-run business, we give individual attention to every hive, making sure each queen gets the care she needs.
• Jim Lagrant is a second-generation beekeeper, building on his parents' reputation for providing top-quality bees and personalized service during their 39 years in business.
• Our queens mate naturally. This means our queens do not run the risk of being under-fertilized or injured, which can occur with artificial insemination.

Please contact us anytime! We look forward to hearing from you.