Queen Bee Italian VSH

Queens will normally arrive here in the morning on the dates listed. Because of factors out of our control (like weather or shipping delays) we can’t guarantee a pick-up day or time, so please call before coming to pick-up your queens to be sure they have arrived on schedule.

Each queen is marked and will be in a small cage with a candy plug at one end.

About VSH Italian Queens

VSH-Italian queen bees are bred exclusively from instrumentally inseminated VSH breeders, and are selected for mite resistance, gentleness and rapid spring buildup.  VSH stands for Varroa Sensitive Hygiene, and is one of the keys to keeping healthy, mite-resistant colonies.  The VSH trait was originated from USDA stock in Louisiana, and later developed commercially by a number of US commercial queen breeders.

Bees exhibiting the VSH trait interfere with the reproduction of varroa mites by detecting and removing bee pupae that are infested with varroa mites.  This VSH activity slows the spread of varroa, and can help keep mite populations below damaging thresholds for long stretches of time, potentially reducing the need for chemical treatments.  Bees that are bred to have high VSH traits are not only vigilant in their resistance to varroa mites, but they are also super-hygienic in general, which gives them excellent natural resistance against American Foulbrood and Chalkbrood.

Please select the option for the ETA date you would like to pick-up your queens. If your selected date is sold out please call the store to check, we do reserve some for phone and walk in orders.

All bee sales are non-refundable. *** If you are not sure whether you need a queen, please give us a call first to chat about it! Once you place your order, she's yours.