Within Slovenia
Parcels travel via the Pošta Slovenije national postal service and are normally delivered the next business day.
Cvet Beekeeping · Slovenia
Carnica Bee Queens
Slovenia is the homeland of the Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica). Queen bee rearing has a rich and successful tradition here — we continue it with expertise, precision and great dedication.
Highlights
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Expert selection
Rigorous selection across a large number of commercial bee colonies, with our own direct progeny testing.
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Controlled rearing
Precision in every rearing procedure — every queen we offer is mated and ready for commercial beekeeping.
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Personal advice
Individual communication with every client, plus guidance on introducing and replacing queens.
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Export documentation
Beekeeper's certificate, registration in the Carniolan honey bee herdbook, and the TRACES document for international parcels.
About us
Cvet Beekeeping
Čebelarstvo Cvet (Cvet Beekeeping) works in central Slovenia, close to the Slovenian Beekeeping Centre. Breeding high-quality queen bees is the primary role of our facility.
We approach breeding in an expert manner and with great dedication. We believe that careful selection work and accuracy in every queen-rearing procedure are of the highest importance.
Mitja Nakrst, the head of our beekeeping centre, received his expert education and worked at the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia and the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Maribor, where he graduated with a beekeeping thesis on the purity of the Carniolan honey bee and the quality of queen bees. His mentor was the renowned expert and scientist Prof. Dr. Aleš Gregorc.
We are happy to collaborate with local and foreign experts as well as with beekeepers from our region. The exchange of opinions and close contact with our clients matter greatly to us — they bring progress to both sides.
Caring for the bee colonies in our selection and breeding apiaries, and for the mating nucs at our mating station, is our most important task.
- Run by
- Katja and Mitja Nakrst
- Location
- Žeje near Dob, central Slovenia
- Focus
- Rearing Carniolan queen bees
What we offer
Bee Queens
We offer our queen bees to local and foreign beekeepers, and have successfully exported them to most European countries.
The descendants of our selected queens are tested by contracted beekeepers through professional institutions; in addition, we carefully perform our own direct test and carry out strict selection across a large number of commercial bee colonies. During the Smartbees project we also took part in its selection process.
Through selection we pursue and improve our rearing goals while preserving the Carniolan honey bee's ethological characteristics — with an emphasis on the calmness of the bees and a high honey yield.
We warmly welcome individuals and groups who would like to see our work and professional competence first-hand. Come and visit us, put our queens to the test, and join us in a long-term collaboration in this noble craft.
We guarantee that every single queen bee we offer to beekeepers is mated and ready for commercial beekeeping.
Our process
From selection to your parcel
We believe that the best results — and satisfied beekeepers — come from quality at each and every step of the rearing process.
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Selection
Rigorous selection work across a large number of commercial bee colonies, aimed at preserving the traits of the Carniolan honey bee.
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Rearing and care
Precise queen rearing in our selection and breeding apiaries, with constant care for the mating nucs at our mating station.
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Testing
Descendants of selected queens are tested by contracted beekeepers through professional institutions — alongside our own direct test.
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Tagging and documentation
Queens are handled and tagged exclusively by the head of the facility. Every parcel is accompanied by certificates and herdbook registration.
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Preparing for transport
Queens are taken out of the mating nucs just before dispatch and carefully prepared for their journey to you.
Transport & documentation
Reliable delivery across Slovenia and Europe
We pay special attention to the transportation of queen bees. Queens are taken out of the mating nucs just before dispatch, so they reach you fresh and vital.
Across Europe
Orders for European markets are dispatched on Mondays and are normally delivered within the same week. Larger quantities of queens are delivered by air transport.
Personal coordination
For exports we diligently prepare the queens for logistics and coordinate the details of every shipment personally with the client.
Every parcel contains
- a beekeeper's certificate,
- a certificate of registration in the herdbook of Carniolan honey bees,
- and, for international parcels, the TRACES document.
Exact dispatch dates and delivery options for your country are confirmed when you enquire.
Gallery
Moments from our work
Let's build a long-term beekeeping partnership
We invite you to put our Carniolan queen bees to the test. Write to us, check availability for the current season, or arrange a visit — we will gladly show you how we work.
Contact
Send an enquiry
You will hear back from us personally — Katja and Mitja Nakrst. Let us know the number of queens you need, the destination country and your preferred timing.
Direct contact
- Čebelarstvo Cvet Katja and Mitja Nakrst
- Address Žeje 30, 1233 Dob, Slovenia
- GSM +386 31 291 603
- E-mail info@cebelarstvocvet.si
Where we are
Žeje near Dob, central Slovenia
You will find our breeding facility at Žeje 30, 1233 Dob — close to the Slovenian Beekeeping Centre. Visits are welcome by prior arrangement.
Čebelarstvo Cvet
Žeje 30, 1233 Dob, Slovenia
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