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Kelly Duqueine, the beekeeper from Canada working to save the black bee in the Belleville valley
2 min read
Kelly Duqueine is a beekeeper and queen breeder in the Belleville valley. She spent twelve years in Canada working for an industrial beekeeping company before moving to France in search of a more traditional approach to her trade. She now works closely with the Conservatoire, which works to safeguard the black bee, with the aim of restoring the genetics of the Apis mellifera mellifera species and ensuring its preservation in the valley.
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A career between Canada and the Belleville valley
Kelly Duqueine worked in Canada for twelve years as a beekeeper for an industrial company. This experience of large-scale beekeeping led her to seek out a practice closer to traditional methods. That search brought her to the Belleville valley, where she now runs her business.
A mission to save the black bee
Kelly Duqueine's work forms part of a conservation effort carried out with the Conservatoire, dedicated to safeguarding the black bee. The aim is to restore the genetics of Apis mellifera mellifera, a subspecies of bee, and to ensure its preservation at the heart of the Belleville valley.
Queen production at the Encombres mating apiary
Queen rearing occupies Kelly Duqueine from late April to late September. Each summer, between 500 and 600 queens are reared at the mating apiary in the Encombres valley. The apiary holds 300 mating nuclei — small hives that each house a queen along with around 1,000 bees tasked with caring for her.
Guided tours at the Maison de l'abeille noire et de la nature
Kelly Duqueine runs guided tours and discovery workshops for the public every Friday. These sessions raise awareness of bees and their role in the ecosystem. Among them is a tour called "Secrets et saveurs du miel à Mellifera", held at the Maison de l'abeille noire et de la nature. Led by Kelly Duqueine, participants follow the stages of honey production, from hive to jar, before a tasting.
Key points
- Kelly Duqueine worked in Canada for twelve years as a beekeeper for an industrial company before moving to the Belleville valley.
- She works with the Conservatoire, dedicated to safeguarding the black bee, to restore the genetics of Apis mellifera mellifera.
- Each summer, between 500 and 600 queens are reared at the mating apiary in the Encombres valley.
- The apiary holds 300 mating nuclei, each housing a queen and around 1,000 bees.
- Guided tours and discovery workshops, including "Secrets et saveurs du miel à Mellifera" at the Maison de l'abeille noire et de la nature, run every Friday from late April to late September.