Queens in the boreal

La Ferme apicole du Lac is a queen bee breeding centre located in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. It rears queen bees adapted to the new beekeeping reality for Quebec beekeepers. It aims for expertise, innovation and quality genetics that will contribute to improving the bees’ health.

Passionate and authentic

Gabriel Boucher-Guimond

Co-owner, beekeeper and queen breeder

Gabriel has been a beekeeper since 2014. Constantly seeking to improve himself, he has worked with several beekeepers around the world to gain experience and new methods. Today, he manages the farm’s colonies and raises the queens. He is in charge of all the company’s beekeeping operations. Gabriel works with the bees with passion and dedication. He wants to refine his art and learn more about the fascinating world of beekeeping in order to share his knowledge with you.

Marie-Christine Gagnon

Co-owner and business development manager

A businesswoman and an artist at heart, Marie-Christine is determined and never shies away from a challenge. After earning a diploma in Management of a restaurant establishment, she turned to agriculture. With her overflowing ideas, she works on projects to diversify the farm’s activities. Organized and resourceful, she finds the right ways to equip the farm and make it prosper. She is behind the company’s philosophy that we want to share with the population.

Services & expertise

We are developing a genetic that corresponds to the needs and reality of Quebec beekeeping. We contribute to improving the hardiness and health levels of the colonies.

Our breeding centre is located in Desbiens, in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. With its endless, harsh winters, it is the perfect location to test the colonies.

Our bees, we treat them like Queens, we put heart and passion.

Queen breeding

La Ferme apicole du Lac wants to innovate in the genetic control of queens and the improvement of the colonies’ health level. Our strain colonies are overwintered individually outside. In the spring, no pollen or syrup substitutes are given to them.

Our goal is to detect and isolate the rustic behaviors of each individual. In order to find our best contestant, strain colonies are treated only when necessary.

 

Selection program

  • Our queens are chosen according to a strict selection program
  • Increased spring development
  • Good food management in spring
  • Resistance to diseases and parasites
  • Reduction of the tendency to swarm
  • Increase in honey yield

 

Genetic selection

With strong and healthy beekeeping in mind, our records,  our traceability system, the location of our mating apiaries and our follow-up with customers allow us to better control our lineage and offer the best to our customers.