At Buckfast USA we are particular about the genetics of the queens we raise. We believe that the Buckfast line is very sensitive to selection pressures and requires even greater oversight to maintain a quality hybrid. That is why we have searched throughout the United States for the best breeders of the Buckfast line to maintain our genetics. This year we will be bringing in a new Breeder Queen to add to our apiary. The queen has been Instrumentally Inseminated to ensure a true Buckfast pedigree.  

What is a Breeder Queen?

The Breeder Queen is a specially selected and bred queen bee that is used to produce high-quality offspring in a bee colony. These queens are carefully chosen for their genetic traits, such as disease resistance, productivity, and temperament. Breeders often use techniques like instrumental insemination to ensure that the genetics of the Breeder Queen are passed on to the next generation of bees. This helps maintain the health and productivity of the bee colony.

What is a Buckfast Queen Bee?

The Buckfast Queen bee is a specific type of honeybee known for its gentle nature and high productivity. It is a hybrid breed developed by Brother Adam of Buckfast Abbey in the United Kingdom. The Buckfast Queen is popular among beekeepers for its ability to produce large amounts of honey and its resistance to diseases and pests. It is important to carefully select and maintain the genetics of the Buckfast line to ensure the quality and productivity of the bees.

Where do you source your Buckfast Breeder Queens?

Jason Bragg is a well-known breeder of Buckfast bees and has a reputation for producing high-quality queens. We chose to get our Breeder Queen from him because of his expertise and the quality of his bees.

It’s important to source Breeder Queens from reputable breeders to ensure the health and productivity of our apiary. That is why we chose Jason Bragg of Appalachian Queen Bees. He has been able to maintain the Buckfast germplasm through cryopreservation.

Cryopreservation is the process of preserving cells or tissues at very low temperatures in order to maintain their viability for future use. It is commonly used in the preservation of sperm, eggs, and embryos for fertility treatments, as well as in the preservation of tissues for medical research and organ transplantation. The process involves slowly cooling the cells or tissues to very low temperatures, often using liquid nitrogen, to prevent ice crystal formation and damage to the cells. This allows the cells or tissues to be stored for long periods of time without degradation.

He will be using this preserved Buckfast semen for the Instrumental Insemination process to produce our new Buckfast Breeder Queen. 

Adding a new Buckfast Breeder Queen to our existing line is an exciting opportunity to enhance and improve our genetics. We anticipate that this new addition will bring positive changes and benefits to our breeding program, ultimately leading to a stronger and more resilient Buckfast line. We are looking forward to the potential improvements and advancements that this new breeder will bring to our beekeeping operation.

We received our new Buckfast Breeder on June 6th 2025.