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Conservation Programs:
Melipona, a genus of stingless bees found in the Neotropics
Stingless bees or meliponas are a group of social insects that inhabit tropical and subtropical areas. Unlike the common honey bee, native to the old world (Africa), the meliponas are native to the American continent where more than 350 species have been identified. In Costa Rica, there are 58 species of stingless bees.
Native bees are important pollinators in the Neotropics. Many of the crops for human consumption rely on the existence of these bees.
At present, the meliponas are disappearing along with the destruction of native forests for agricultural use. The population of meleponas are also injured by people who do not have knowledge about the breeding of stingless bees.
The Melipona apiary in Macao Santuario is positioned to become the distribution center for hives of these native bees. This is another small step to improving the economic livelihood of families in the Paso de las Lapas Biological Corridor.
Join Us! Bee Hive Project :
Our meliponiculture project has 24 hives with five different species: Tetragonista angostura, Plebeia frontalis, Melipona beecheii, Scaptotrigona pectoralis and Tetragona ziegleri.
Each hive has a population between 2,000 to 5,000 individuals. Once a year the hives are divided to increase the number of these important insects.
Workshops at Macao Sanatuario help community members learn to acquire and manage their own hives.
Meliponaculture is a sustainable passive project that can raise awareness of biodiversity. With relatively little effort, a family can raise their annual household income 5 to 10%. Our goal is to double the number of hives every six months and expand the native bee population throughout the Biological Corridor.
