How Much Does a Swarm of Bees with a Queen Cost?
Today I want to talk to you about the cost of a queen bee with a swarm and the price of a bee swarm, along with everything you need to know if you're considering buying bee swarms online, the cost of a queen bee, or purchasing bee nuclei for sale.
Today I want to talk to you about the cost of a queen bee with a swarm and the price of a bee swarm, along with everything you need to know if you're considering buying bee swarms online, the cost of a queen bee, or purchasing bee nuclei for sale.
???? Price of Swarms with a Queen and What Affects It
When you ask, “How much does a swarm of bees with a queen cost?”, keep in mind that the price of the queen bee is already included in the cost of the swarm we offer.
However, the bee swarm price may vary depending on several factors:
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Time of year and availability (prices may be higher in spring)
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Genetic selection and certification of the queen (selected queens, more resistant to diseases and with better productive performance, are more valuable)
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Transport, especially over long distances — our swarms are designed for long journeys and arrive in optimal condition
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Health expenses and certificates — every swarm or nucleus we sell comes with a health certificate to ensure colony health
???? Online Sale of Bee Swarms and Nuclei
We offer online sales of bee swarms to make purchasing easy no matter where you are.
Some important notes:
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Our bee swarms are delivered with queen bees from the current year or, in some cases, from the previous year
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The swarms typically include 5 frames (3 brood and 2 stores), or 3 frames (with some variations) to allow for a quick transfer into your hive
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Shipping is done using refrigerated trucks with controlled atmosphere, to reduce stress on the bees, including darkness to prevent them from becoming agitated or trying to escape
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Bee nuclei are also available: these come pre-treated against varroa mites and are ready for production
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The nuclei are shipped in ventilated boxes, kept in cold rooms at ~8 °C to avoid stressing the bees, and then shipped quickly
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There is a minimum order quantity for nuclei (e.g., 5 units) due to logistical reasons
Thanks to these procedures, we guarantee that new colonies arrive full of bees and ready to integrate within a few days.
???? Cost of the Queen Bee: Alone or with Swarm?
Besides the “cost of a queen bee with a swarm,” you may wish to buy just a queen cell or queen bee to insert into an existing colony. In that case:
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The cost of a queen bee varies widely depending on genetic selection, age, certifications, and breeding difficulty
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We offer fertile queens of Buckfast or Ligustica breed starting from €13.00 each (VAT excluded)
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Our queens are selected for disease resistance and high productivity
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Queens are raised in morphometrically certified nuclei to ensure breed standards
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Queens are shipped in ventilated cages with a few attendant worker bees during transport
???? What Happens During Shipping and Post-Sale Period
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Our new families must go through a few days of adaptation, during which it's essential that the queen is accepted, and the worker bees start to adjust to the environment
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During shipping, the bees are protected from stress through darkness, ventilation, and temperature control
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We offer post-sale support, helping you manage the colony integration, transfer, and any initial issues
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We conduct disease checks with strict protocols, ensuring that the colonies you receive are disease-resistant
✅ Why Choose Apicoltura Laterza?
At Apicoltura Laterza, we stand out for:
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The genetic quality of our queens and health certifications for all nuclei
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Swarms and nuclei specially designed for long transport, using techniques to minimize bee stress
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Technical support and after-sales service to ensure seamless integration with your beekeeping setup
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Production cycles that consider the previous year to select queens, with options for marked queens
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Scalable production: we serve both small-scale beekeepers and large companies (with bulk nucleus sales)
