Abeja Melipona
The melipona bee is a stingless species that the Mayan people have cultivated for hundreds of years and they call it the “Mayan sacred bee” due to the healing properties of its honey. Such is the importance of bees that the Mayans, in pre-Hispanic times, held between four and six ceremonies a year in their honor.
Melipona bees and their honey were subject to tax payments, both before and after the arrival of the Spanish.
The main characteristic of the melipona bee is that it does not have a sting, but to defend its colony it “bites” anything that represents a threat; it clings in such a way that it dies during the fight. ​
Among the products that this little bee produces are honey, wax pollen, propolis, in addition to their valuable service as pollinators.
A melipona hive produces one and a half liters of honey per year, its production process takes longer compared to that of European bees that produce up to 30 liters of honey in a year.
Although honey production is lower, it is much more beneficial than honey from other bees since its medicinal properties help the immune system, in addition to being used to cure ailments, wounds, burns and diseases. In the cosmetic branch it is also highly appreciated, as it is used to create products such as soaps, creams and powders.
The pollen of melipona bees has a protein value 50 percent higher than that of other bees. On the other hand, it is known that stingless bees are used as pollinators of the following crops: annatto, avocado, coffee, pumpkin, chayote, habanero chili, mango, cucumber, watermelon, tomato, among others.