Stingless Bees

Did you know?

“The 20 or more genera of stingless bees are related to the honeybees, bumblebees and carpenter bees.  The stingless bees, which we are concerned with here, belong to the tribe Meliponimi, but to add to the confusion there are other types of bee s that do not sting: the Meliponimi, furthermore, are not actually devoid of a stinging apparatus – it is simply that it is too small to be an effective defense weapon.  Stingless bees are found in subtropical and tropical regions such as South-East Asia, Australia, Africa, Mexico and South America.  Many species are prized for their honey, and are kept and tended in a similar way to Apis Honeybees.”  (Hall p.82-83, 2010)

Stingless Bee Photo Borrowed from Here

Did you know?

“Stingless bees are social insects, nesting in hollow tree trunks, beneath the ground in holes, in rock crevices, and in a variety of man-made objects such as old garbage cans and storage drums.  Although they do not sting, they nevertheless defend their nests vigorously, either biting with their sharp jaws or, in the case of a few species, by emitting a mandibular secretion that causes painful blistering.  Hives of some species can be extremely large, with anything from a few hundred to about 80,000 individuals living inside.  The bees keep their pollen and honey in egg-shaped pots made from beeswax, which are arranged around brook combs in which the larvae are kept and reared.”  (Hall p.83, 2010)

Did you know?

“About 14 of the wild bee species in Australia are stingless.  All are small, black insects with hairy hindlegs adapted for carrying pollen.  They are popular in gardens since they help pollination, do not pose a threat to humans, and can be used for small-scale honey production.  Since the bees produce little excess honey, however, care must be taken to ensure their own stocks are not depleted to the point where the colony is at risk of starvation.  The stingless bees of Central America were kept for their honey as far back as the Mayan period, and were considered sacred.  Today, however, they are endangered through a combination of habitat loss caused by deforestation and the use of insecticides to control other insect pests, as well as by changes in bee-keeping practices that came about with the introduction of the Africanized Apis Mellifera honeybee.”  (Hall p.84, 2010)

• Author
• Recent Posts

Dan Luong

Latest posts by Dan Luong (see all)

• Signs Of A Wasp Nest - November 14, 2014
• What Do Bees Eat? - March 11, 2014
• The Magnificence of the Honey Bee Colony - February 10, 2014