Europe's Native Dark Bees Get Second Chance Through Belgian Breeding Program
Amsterdam, Tuesday, 24 February 2026.
Belgian beekeepers orchestrate an extraordinary annual ceremony where 1,000 virgin dark bee queens participate in supervised mating flights to save Europe’s original honeybee species from extinction. Since 2000, this cross-border conservation effort in Chimay has attracted beekeepers from Netherlands, France, and Germany working to restore genetic purity lost through mid-20th century hybrid imports. The European dark bee, which survived the last ice age, demonstrates superior resistance to cold weather and disease compared to imported varieties, making this breeding program crucial for ecosystem stability and agricultural pollination across the continent.
AgriTech Innovation Preserving Genetic Biodiversity
This conservation initiative represents a critical agritech innovation focused on preserving genetic biodiversity essential for agricultural pollination systems. The European dark bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) serves as the foundation species native to northern, central, and western Europe [1]. Unlike modern commercial approaches that prioritize imported hybrid varieties, this program prioritizes genetic integrity to maintain ecosystem functionality. The dark bee population became fragmented across Scandinavia, France, and Spain following mid-20th century imports of hybrid honeybees that caused “irreparable” damage to native populations [1]. Dark bees were only rediscovered in the UK just over a decade ago, highlighting the species’ precarious status [1].
How the Chimay Breeding Program Works
The annual conservation effort operates through a sophisticated controlled breeding system centered in Chimay, Belgium, where beekeepers reserve spots at the Maison de l’Abeille Noire for summer mating sessions [1]. Young dark bee queens mate with up to 20 males during these carefully orchestrated breeding events [1]. The program maintains genetic purity across 30,000 hectares in Chimay and Momignies, where beekeepers are only permitted to keep dark bees [1]. This geographic restriction prevents contamination from hybrid varieties while providing sufficient territory for sustainable population growth. The controlled environment ensures optimal conditions for successful mating flights while maintaining the genetic characteristics that distinguish dark bees from imported varieties.
Belgian Leadership and Cross-Border Collaboration
Hubert Guerriat, a Belgian beekeeper and biologist, founded the South Hainaut beekeeping school in 1983 and established Mellifica, the organization that coordinates dark bee keepers across Europe [1]. Based in Belgium, Guerriat’s program attracts participants from the Netherlands, France, and Germany who travel annually to collect fertilized queens [1]. The breeding program demonstrates measurable success through practitioners like Isabelle Noé, a cheesemaker who started her colony in 2017 and expanded to more than 100 hives by 2024 [1]. In 2025, Noé produced one tonne of honey, selling 250-gram containers for €4.50 each [1]. Guerriat emphasizes the fundamental differences between species, stating “They are not the same animal” and warning that “All the beekeepers who use foreign bees contribute to the disappearance of the native bee” [1].
Superior Climate Resilience and Disease Resistance
Dark bees demonstrate superior environmental adaptation compared to hybrid alternatives, showing greater resistance to cold, humidity, and sudden climate changes [1]. Some populations even survived the last ice age in France, indicating exceptional evolutionary resilience [1]. During 2024’s challenging rainy summer, dark bees suffered less impact compared to hybrid honeybees [1]. This resilience proves increasingly valuable as beekeepers in the United States lost an average of 60% of their colonies due to parasites and disease [1]. Research indicates local honeybees maintain stronger disease resistance than imported varieties [1]. Dark bees may also show greater resistance to Asian hornets because they remain in their hives during September and October when hornets are most active, though Guerriat notes this “remains to be proven” [1]. The breeding program addresses critical pollinator shortages while preserving genetic material essential for long-term agricultural sustainability across European ecosystems.