For several years, beekeeping has been affected by pesticides, diseases, parasites and hornets that have decimated many local bee colonies: the Black Bee (Apis mellifera mellifera). To compensate for these losses, new breeds of bees have been imported, generating a hybridisation of the species through reproduction.
Protecting the Black Bee
By establishing apiaries in its orchards, the Normandy-Maine Regional Nature Park actively participates in the preservation of the Black Bee. Since 2019, this action is part of the plan to preserve Norman heritage breeds, whose programme on beekeeping is called APINOIRE NORMANDIE. Through this programme, which brings together many collaborators, Normandy has an ambition to become the first region for the conservation and production of Black Bee swarms.
Each site contributes to the project:
At the Maison du Parc in Carrouges, the Orne Apiculture Union and the Centre for Technical Studies for the Orne Black Bee (CETA ANO), from which it originates, has been running one of its apiary schools for more than 20 years. Each year, several dozen beekeepers are trained in handling the Black Bee. The honey is sold in the shop at the Maison du Parc.
At the Poiré Museum in Barenton, the "Abeilles des Bocages Normands” (Norman Bocage Bee Association) presents a collection of very old but active beehives, working hard with the fruit production of the orchard. Since 2020 the association has also set up the South Manche pollination apiary, as part of the APINOIRE programme. These are 15 to 20 hives of Black Bees selected for their quality. These hives produce males (2000-3000 per hive) that will fertilise the young queens brought in by the local beekeepers. The beekeepers from the Barenton area participate, with their Black Bees, for the preservation of the species.
A conservation centre for Black Bees, was set up in 2014 at the Perche Natural Regional Park. It was the first conservation centre recognised within Normandy. Through its programme, the Region encourages the development of other sites with the aim of conserving Black Bee colonies in the widest possible genetic diversity.