The Impact of Producers' Knowledge of Meliponini Bees on Colony Health and Productivity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/ere202214Keywords:
Meliponini, Meliponiculture, Sustainability, Beekeeping management, Technical trainingAbstract
This study explores the Meliponini bee production system as a crucial component in the preservation of tropical ecosystems and sustainable agricultural production. Through research in Florencia (Caquetá, Colombia), the interactions between traditional knowledge and the management practices of producers are analyzed, with an emphasis on how technical training and institutional support affect the health and productivity of the colonies. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research aims to identify the key factors that determine the functionality and sustainability of this production system, highlighting the importance of technical training, institutional regulation, and the link between bees and agriculture. The results reveal that the success of meliponiculture depends on the integration of technical knowledge, appropriate management practices, and public policies that promote the development of the activity. Furthermore, it is concluded that the synergy between these elements is essential to ensure the future viability of meliponiculture in rural communities, promoting both the well-being of native species and the economic and ecological development of the region.
References
1. Creswell JW, Plano Clark VL. Designing and conducting mixed methods research. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks (CA): SAGE Publication; 2018.
2. Cortopassi-Laurino M, Imperatriz-Fonseca VL, Roubik DW, Dollin A, Heard T, Aguilar I, et al. Global meliponiculture: challenges and opportunities. Apidologie. 2006;37(2):275–92. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2006027
3. Cortopassi-Laurino M, et al. Honey production in stingless bees: a sustainable resource in tropical regions. J Apic Res. 2006;45(2):84–92.
4. Dubale BT, Gelgelu TG. Assessment of stingless bee (Apidae: Meliponini) production practices and indigenous knowledge in West Arsi and Bale Zones of South-Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia. World J Agric Sci Technol. 2022;1(1):1–8.
5. Eardley CD, Gikungu M, Schwarz MP. Bee conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar: diversity, status and threats. Apidologie. 2009;40(3):355–66.
6. Gadamer HG. Truth and method. 2nd ed. London: Continuum; 2004.
7. Garibaldi LA, et al. The global role of pollinators in sustaining the ecosystem. Biol Conserv. 2018;221:162–71.
8. Quezada-Euán JJG. Stingless bees of Mexico: the biology, management and conservation of an ancient heritage. Cham: Springer; 2018.
9. Heard TA. The role of stingless bees in crop pollination. Annu Rev Entomol. 1999;44:183–206. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.44.1.183 Hernández, R., Fernández, C., & Baptista, P. (2014). Metodología de la investigación (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill
10. Jaffé R, Pope N, Carvalho AT, Maia UM, Blochtein B, de Carvalho CAL, et al. Bees for development: Brazilian survey reveals how to optimize stingless beekeeping. PLoS One. 2015;10(3):e0121157.
11. Kajobe R. Nesting biology of equatorial Afrotropical stingless bees (Apidae; Meliponini) in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. J Apic Res. 2007;46(4):245–55.
12. Klein AM, et al. Importance of pollinators for food security and the role of native bees. Food Secur. 2020;12(5):1131–45.
13. Lima Verde LW, Freitas BM. Challenges and perspectives for the conservation and sustainable use of native bees in Brazil. In: *Atlas of Science* [Internet]. 2019 [citado 2025 mar 31]. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00111
14. Martinez J, Garcia R, Lopez A. Sustainable beekeeping practices: challenges and opportunities in meliponiculture. J Apic Res. 2019;58(4):450–60.
15. Nates-Parra G. Iniciación a la crianza de abejas nativas sin aguijón (Meliponini) en Colombia. Rev Colomb Entomol. 2016;42(1):89–95.
16. Nunes-Silva P, et al. Training and support for meliponiculture: a pathway to sustainability. Environ Sci Policy. 2019;100:210–20.
17. Ollerton J, et al. Pollinator diversity and its importance for plant reproduction in ecological landscapes. Front Ecol Environ. 2016;14(4):196–205.
18. Potts SG, et al. Safeguarding pollinators and their values to human well-being. Nature. 2016;540(7632):220–9.
19. Slaa EJ, Sánchez Chaves LA, Malagodi-Braga KS, Hofstede FE. Stingless bees in applied pollination: practice and perspectives. Apidologie. 2006;37(2):293–315. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2006022
20. Tesfaye A, Desha TG. Traditional knowledge and indigenous practices of stingless bees in Ethiopia. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2022;19(1):1–12.
21. Vásquez A, Boulton AM, Rojas F. Policy and regulation for stingless beekeeping in Latin America. Int J Trop Insect Sci. 2020;40(1):30–40.
22. Villanueva-Gutiérrez R, et al. Impact of habitat loss on Meliponini bees. Apidologie. 2013;44(3):253–65.
23. Villanueva-Gutiérrez R, Roubik DW, Colli-Ucán W, Güemez-Ricalde FJ, Buchmann SL. A critical view of colony losses in managed Mayan honey-making bees (Apidae: Meliponini) in the heart of Zona Maya. J Kans Entomol Soc. 2018;86(4):352–62.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Erick Maikler Perdomo Torres (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Unless otherwise stated, associated published material is distributed under the same licence.