If you are a NEW or BEGINNING BEEKEEPER please read all the way to the bottom. 2021 Live Mated Marked Honeybee Queen “Northern”.My bees and queens are “northern” stock. Reproduced from my bees that have successfully overwintered in Pennsylvania. I do not sell a specific breed (ie. Italian, Carniolan, Saskatraz, Russian, etc…) . I select breeder queens based on their desirable traits: Gentle/easy to work with, honey production, brood production, overwintering ability, etc… Your queen(s) will come marked with the standard color for the year – 2021 will be marked WHITEThey will ship USPS priority mail. – tracked and insuredIt will take a 2-4 days (from the ship date) for your queens to arrive depending on where you live in the United States.*optional*You may choose USPS Priority Express mail. – tracked and insuredIt will take about 2 days after the posted ship date for your queens to arrive depending on where you live. Queens will be shipped from my location on the date listed. If you need your Queen(s) shipped on a specific date contact me to make arrangements before placing your order. Occasionally, for reasons beyond my control a queen will die in transit. (exposure to extremes of temperature, direct sunlight etc…) I Guarantee live arrival. If your queen dies in transit send me a photo of the dead queen within 24 hours of package delivery and I will refund the full purchase price (shipping included). If possible, I recommend calling your post office ahead of time and letting them know that you are expecting the queen bee/bees. Give them your phone # so that they can call you when they arrive and you can pick up at the post office promptly.HOT WEATHER WARNING!! If the queen is delivered with your regular mail and placed in your mailbox it will not live long. It is your responsibility to make sure this does not happen. …Notify your post office that you have a LIVE queen bee coming…Check tracking on usps.com…Tape your mailbox shut and put on a note on it notifying the carrier to deliver to your door.While we certainly do our best to sell only healthy productive queens we cannot guarantee their acceptance,survival, or performance in your hive because there are many factors that are beyond our control. Thanks! And Happy Beekeeping. IF YOU ARE A NEW BEEKEEPER…PLEASE be aware that this sale is for a queen only! You cannot start a new colony/hive with only a queen. You will need to purchase a “nuc” or “package” of bees if you are wanting to begin beekeeping.