F1 QUEEN BEES
The choice for more productive and resilient hives
Tenuta Ritiro’s F1 queen bees come from genetic lines selected through controlled crossing programmes and performance trials.
Each queen passes on genetic traits chosen to improve the stability, productivity and resistance of colonies, giving beekeepers a practical tool to develop their apiary.
Key characteristics
Consistent productivity
Balanced colonies that maintain high yields throughout the harvest season.
Resistance to varroa and disease
The selected lines carry genetic traits such as hygienic behaviour (HYG) and VSH, which help reduce varroa pressure and viral infections in the colony.
Gentleness and easy handling
Bees that are generally gentle and stable on the combs, allowing safer and more efficient hive management.
Low swarming tendency
Lines selected to keep colonies stable through the production season.
Excellent overwintering
Colonies maintain a healthy balance between population, stores and brood even in the toughest periods.
Climatic adaptability
Bees able to work in variable weather conditions, with a strong foraging capacity throughout the day.
GENETIC PROGRAMME
Bees selected for greater hive resilience
Tenuta Ritiro’s F1 queen bees come from genetic selection programmes focused on developing colonies more resilient to varroa pressure and the associated viruses.
The lines used by Tenuta Ritiro integrate natural defensive behavioural traits, including:
- hygienic behaviour (HYG)
- ability to remove varroa from bees (grooming)
- VSH – Varroa Sensitive Hygiene, the ability to detect and remove infested brood
MATING
Controlled mating with three selected drone lines
A distinctive feature of Tenuta Ritiro’s genetic work concerns the mating of F1 queens, which takes place in apiaries saturated with three selected drone lines.
In this way matings do not occur randomly with drones present in the area, but are directed towards controlled genetic lines, increasing the likelihood of passing the desired traits on to the next generation.
This method delivers greater genetic stability and consistency in results, and was introduced by Tenuta Ritiro to improve the effectiveness of its selection programme.
Choose the right F1 for your goals
Our goal is not to sell queen bees, but to provide you with the genetic material best suited to the environment in which the bees will live and work
Shipping in 1-2 days across Europe
Queen bees are shipped in protected cages with attendant bees and food, ensuring optimal conditions during transport.
Shipping is planned to ensure:
- safe transport
- queen vitality
- fast delivery across Europe
Queens are shipped by express courier. Shipping time: 1-2 days across Europe.
How to introduce a queen bee
Received your queen bee and want to know more?
Enter the code you find on the cage and we’ll tell you the line and crosses