Each summer, about 1,000 virgin queen bees arrive in Chimay, Belgium, for a dramatic mating flight. A male mates once, loses his reproductive organ and dies. Beekeepers later collect the fertilised queens and transport them across Europe to build new colonies.
This annual gathering began in 2000. It aims to restore the endangered European dark bee, Apis mellifera mellifera. Conservationists consider this subspecies the region’s only native honeybee.
Beekeepers reserve space at the Maison de l’Abeille Noire for a two-week stay. During that time, a queen mates with up to 20 males and stores sperm for years. The process secures strong genetics for future hives in Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany.
For centuries, dark bees thrived in the cool, wet climates of northern and western Europe. Their decline began in the mid-20th century when imported hybrid bees promised higher honey yields. Cross-breeding then pushed the native bee close to genetic disappearance.
Today, only scattered populations survive in parts of Scandinavia, France and Spain. The bee even reappeared in the UK after scientists had considered it extinct.
Belgian biologist Hubert Guerriat turned Chimay into a sanctuary. He founded a training school in 1983 and united breeders through his organisation, Mellifica. Local rules now restrict beekeepers in a 30,000-hectare zone to dark bees only.
Around 50 to 100 beekeepers take part, and the protected area may expand. Cheesemaker Isabelle Noé keeps more than 100 hives. She houses them in a converted supermarket van and breeds queens there. Bright hive colours help the bees return to the correct colony.
