Black Bee Conservatory

The black bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) is a subspecies of the domestic bee. Savoie’s ecotype has adapted to the climate and local flora and is used by the Valley’s apiarists. The creation of a black bee conservatory in the Vallée des Encombres in April 2016 included setup of breeding apiaries ensuring that young queens were only fertilised by males of the same ecotype. There’s a breeding apiary consisting of small-size hives on the spot where the trail leaves the Route des Encombres and takes you down to Les Priots. The power line that runs just above them doesn'tt seem to disturb their inhabitants.