VSH Cordovan Package Bees include mated and laying VSH Cordovan queen bees. 3 pound package. For pickup at our Minooka, IL apiary – no shipping. Anticipated 2026 package bee pickup dates are selectable below. These dates will depend on weather and availability. An email will be sent out about a week prior to the pickup date to confirm the date as well as to provide pickup day details.
Cordovans are technically a subset of Italian bees with more yellow coloring. They’re also gentler than their Italian cousins and slightly more likely to rob. They are quite striking to observe, with their bright yellow bodies and lack of stripes. The queens legs are typically yellow and they sometimes have a purplish hue to their thorax.
VSH Cordovan Package Bees Strengths
- shows strong disposition to breeding and very prolific
- VSH trait exhibits mite sensitivity and mite hygienic behaviors
- Friendly and not aggressive
- Not prone to swarming
- Easy to spot the queen on the frame
- Good honeycomb builders
- Good pollinators
- Produce more royal jelly
- Stable colony strength over time
Cordovan Package Weaknesses
- Sometimes prone to robbery
- Can consume larger quantities of honey
- Not well adapted to long and harsh winters
