The Bees
Buckfast Bees
We keep Buckfast bees, a type of honey bee developed through selective breeding for characteristics including productivity, temperament and colony strength.
Their generally calm temperament makes them pleasant to work with, while their productivity suits both our honey production and nucleus colony operation.
We don't raise our own queens. Instead, we source our queens from reputable specialist breeders, choosing proven Buckfast lines that suit the way we keep our bees.
You can read more about why we use F1 Buckfast queens in our nucleus colonies.
The Hives
ANEL Langstroth Hives
We use ANEL Langstroth hives throughout our apiaries. Made from insulated food-grade plastic, they're durable, weather-resistant and straightforward to clean and maintain.
Using the same hive system across the business means frames and equipment are interchangeable between colonies, making it much easier to manage our apiaries consistently.
The insulation also gives the colonies additional protection from changes in temperature, while the lightweight boxes make them practical to handle during inspections and honey harvests.
Why It Matters
Keeping Things Consistent
Using the same hive and frame system across our apiaries keeps our setup straightforward and consistent.
Colonies can be managed using interchangeable equipment, nucleus colonies can be built on the same ANEL frames we use throughout our apiaries, and we're able to make practical decisions based on what each colony needs without working around several different hive systems.
It's a simple approach, but one that works well as we manage colonies for honey production and nucleus colonies across multiple sites.
Nucleus Colonies
Langstroth Nucleus Colonies
We produce nucleus colonies from the same Buckfast bees and ANEL hive system we use across our own apiaries.
Each nuc is supplied on five ANEL plastic Langstroth frames in a travel box, ready to transfer into a compatible hive.
Our nucs are produced in seasonal batches, including overwintered colonies available in spring and summer-produced colonies later in the season.
Not sure how the two differ? Read our guide to overwintered vs summer nucs.
For current availability, collection and delivery options, and full details of what you'll receive, see our Nucleus Colonies pages.