Our Story | Revival Queen Bees

Passion

Revival Queen Bees is located in Parkland County, Alberta. It is owned and operated by Glyn and Shevelle Stephens.

Glyn grew up breeding queen bees at his family's apiary in New Zealand. He went on to study science at the University of Canterbury, where he met Shevelle, a Canadian biologist studying abroad.

Glyn’s knowledge of bees combined with Shevelle’s passion for biology encouraged the pair to establish Koha Apiaries in 2016. The Edmonton-based apiary was dedicated to the small-scale production of both honey and local queen bees.

FROM KOHA TO REVIVAL

While building Koha, Glyn also worked as the Lead Bee Inspector for Alberta Agriculture. He quickly learned that one of the major issues facing Alberta beekeepers was a lack of local queen bees. This meant that local beekeepers were largely reliant on the importation of queens from other countries.

With a strong knowledge of queen breeding techniques, Glyn and Shevelle realized they could make a positive impact on the local beekeeping industry. They decided they would focus on producing queens that were suited to Alberta's unique conditions. Their breeding program would select for traits based on local honey bee health concerns and the desires of local beekeepers.

“Revival Queen Bees” was chosen as a new company name to reflect their goal of continuously improving the health of Alberta’s honey bees through the production of local queens.

Stronger
Hives

ALL-IN ON QUEENS

A focused and robust breeding program reduces our dependence on imported queens. It not only strengthens beekeeping in Alberta overall, but it allows the province to move towards greater agricultural sustainability and independence.

There will be challenges associated with adopting this stronger domestic approach to queen breeding, but we are committed to leveraging research and scientific testing to help us overcome them. Through education, we can also create a cultural shift towards management practices that allow for an increased use of local queens.

FAQ

What breed are your queens?

Revival queen bees are open mated so they are mixed breeds. Rather than focusing on breed, we focus on selecting for traits that are important to Alberta beekeepers.

When are your queens available?

Weather permitting, our queens are available from early June through August. We begin taking pre-orders for our queens in late winter.

How will my queens be shipped?

Revival queens are shipped via Canada Post Xpresspost, in JZBZ cages with 4 attendants. Once we ship the queen you will be provided with a tracking number. A signature will be required for the delivery. Queens are shipped at the buyer’s cost and risk. You will be prompted to select the delivery option and input your address during checkout.

Do you guarantee your queens?

Revival queens are guaranteed to be alive at the time of shipping. To the best of our knowledge, these queens will be in good health. Once the queens leave our care we cannot guarantee their acceptance into your hive, their performance, or their health. Due to many factors that influence queen health and introduction success, including unforeseen complications during shipping or individual beekeeping practices, we do not guarantee our queens or provide refunds once the queens have left our care. Please read our blog for more information on how you can increase the likelihood that your queen will be successfully introduced into your hive.

Are your queens marked?

Our queens can be marked by request, for a charge of $3 per queen. This option is available at checkout.

What happens if I cancel my queen order after I’ve already paid?

If your queen has not yet shipped, your payment will be refunded, minus a deposit fee of $10 per queen. If your queen has already been shipped a refund will not be provided.

What happens if Revival is unable to supply my queens during the week I originally requested?

In the unlikely event that we are unable to fulfill your order on your requested week, we will contact you to arrange an alternative date. If you are not satisfied with the date change we will refund 100% of your payment.