There are more than 20,000 bee species in the world. And more than 75% are solitary bees. These bees live for themselves; each female is fertile and builds its own nest. On the contrary, social bees from communities divided into queen and workers where only the queen reproduces. One of the most defining characteristics of the social behavior of a bee colony is the existence of a division of labor. .
Bees are closely related to nature and key to food production as they are the most relevant pollinating agents in the ecosystem. Pollination is the exchange of pollen between flowers thus achieving the reproduction of any type of seed and fruit. This process is fundamental to the maintenance of life on earth.
Unfortunately, the bee population in the world is in decline. Among the main factors threatening these pollinators are habitat loss, the advancement of industrialized agriculture, the widespread use of agrochemicals, and the impacts of climate change.
Aware of its importance, in Impulso Verde we want to participate in the protection of the species through the implementation of beekeeping and community meliponiculture programs.
Our main objective is to promote awareness of the importance of bees in the ecosystem and to understand their interaction with man for productive purposes. In addition, these activities are an undertaking that allows communities to benefit from an economic and sustainable alternative.
Did you know?
- Bees contribute to the pollination of 170,000 plant species.
- To produce 1 kilo of honey, bees must visit 4 million flowers and fly 4 times the distance around the Earth.
- 12 bees can produce a teaspoon of honey throughout their life.
We all depend on bees!
BEEKEEPING:
Familia: Apidae Tribe: Apini Genus: Apis
Apis Melifera is a species of bees native to Europe, Western Asia and Africa. It is the most widely used worldwide in beekeeping and pollination. Melifera bees are highly effective pollinators as their hair-covered body easily collects pollen inside the flowers. These bees can visit thousands of flowers in a single day spreading as well as the pollen grains they collect in other flowers.
These social way bees are characterized by their cooperation and organization in the search for food and the care of their hatches. They build their nests with parallel honeycombs in hollows or tree-cavities. They produce a lot of honey and the taste, color and smell depends on the different flowers they visited.
Accompanied by professionals in beekeeping and meliponiculture, we carry out awareness campaigns, trainings applying concepts, practices and working methodology for the installation of hives, domestication of wild swarms, knowledge of basic tools for harvesting and marketing honey in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner.
MELIPONICULTURE:
Familia: Apidae Tribe: Meliponini Genus : Melipona, Trigona, Tetragonisca (Angelita), etc
Honey production is not unique to the Apis genus. The Meliponini tribe, bees that are distinguished by the absence of stingers, also produce honey. Meliponiculture is the breeding of bees without sting and the Maya were the pioneers in this practice.
Of this tribe, the genus Melipona is probably the best known, although we can also mention the genus Tetragonisca Angustula or Angelitas.
These bees are found in tropical and subtropical areas of all continents and are less productive of honey than Apis. However, the price of thein honey is higher and benefits from being recognized of high quality and having therapeutic properties.
Stingless bees do not store honey in honeycombs but in amphorae (vertical pots).
One of the advantages of meliponiculture is the proximity of the rooms in which hives can be installed since there is no danger of stings; all the family can participate in the breeding of these bees without abandoning their other daily activities.
Some Impulso Verde team members received training in 2019 for meliponiculture in order to be able to implement this activity together with communities, especially women’s groups.
