Natural breeding black queen

When I practice simple division

It is the bees that build the royal cells to raise their own queens. I do not know the selection criteria of the bees which make them choose this larva rather than another. But what I do know is that I, the shepherd of bees that I am on a daily basis, I observe this situation to learn even more about this process.

Fertilization of young queen

It will be carried out on a mountain apiary specially dedicated to fertilization. The hives with males are selected according to their genetic qualities and their origins. It is a long-term job, but it is the price to pay to guarantee an irreproachable quality for the safeguard of our endemic black bee.

Quality Control

The queen is checked to check the regularity of the laying in order to be sure that the brood is tight and uniform. It is only after reviewing my quality criteria that the queen will be removed from the hive and placed with a few companions in a crate with a reserve of candy provided for this purpose for the survival of the queen and her court. Shipment by Chronopost will be done on the day of the caging of the queen and after confirmation of payment in the order of arrival of the reservations.

réservations.

Let me explain !

there won't be enough for everyone, it's like with honey or swarms. My beekeeping farm is on a human scale, I do not operate bees. I have a given quantity of hives which allows me to be well occupied all season long. But I refuse to produce as much as we do today in the food industry.

That is why in breeding queens

I keep the same philosophy. A given number of swarms per hive which will allow me to make available a number of queens for sale. It is by remaining in a sensible practice of taking brood frame from a hive for the creation of swarms, or even queens that we allow a colony on the one hand not to be weakened by successive takings to the point of making the colony sulky or even so weak that it will not survive the winter and there, too often, I hear about, I quote "how much waste did you have at the end of winter", the terms speak for themselves.

And on the other hand, to make available each year beautiful swarms and beautiful queens from the colonies that you know both by their characters and by their docility and the generosity that they offer you without restraint each season. This is the image I have of perennial beekeeping, of a shepherd of bees concerned about their well-being and their conservation.

All queens are produced by division and raised on my farm

It's the weather lady who decides when we start :)

Like every year, it's the climate that decides. This is why I provide a waiting list before being able to open the sales and especially to know how many queens will be available this year.

Breeding strain: Origin

1. Plain strain: Altitude: < 500 Brittany
2. Mid-mountain strain: Altitude: <800 Haute Loire and Haut Jura
3. Mountain strain: Altitude: < 1500 Haute Savoie and Haut Jura
   

Picking queens will be produced only on request. For the sake of consistency with my vision of perennial beekeeping and safeguarding the black bee, the production will be carried out solely for the purpose of changing a herd (buckfast) to switch to black bees and thus allow the black bee to regain their rights in our territory. With the obligation for the beekeeper to remer his colonies to N+1 or N+2.

The price per 5 queens will be around €57 per piece for a quantity of 5 to 10. I do not produce individually.

Fertilized queens

They will be sent under a special Chronopost cover. (Shipping costs extra). The queens are placed in a transport crate with a few accompanying bees and a supply of candy. Orders will be validated in order of arrival. They will be firm and definitive.

By answering the form below, you will receive a link that will allow you to pay for your order.

Priority is given to members of the Association des Bergers des Abeilles in the following order:

Honorary member, (forecast at the beginning of May) except disastrous weather
Benefactor member, (2nd half of May forecast) except disastrous weather
Active member (forecast 1st half of June)
Non-members (forecast mid-June)

Waiting list