Sabi ni Momshie

18/01/2024

02/10/2023

This is very common problem in our garden…

30/09/2023

Sowing seeds of righteousness will bring a true and lasting rewards

18/09/2023

has provided food for

15/09/2023

Very easy and simple way of making using kitchen waste / scraps

02/06/2022

“Today is the best time to grow your own mushroom”

03/05/2022

Stingless Bees

There are approximately 500 species within the stingless bee genus, with the majority of these species being located in Latin America, the mainland of Australia, Africa, and Eastern and Southern Asia [1]. Stingless bees can be classified into 2 genera, namely, the Melipona and the Trigona. The Melipona genus is numerically large, even larger than that of the common honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) [2]. Stingless bees also play an important role in the ecology, economy, and culture. They act as the main pollinators for many wild and cultivated tropical plants [3]. Their products such as honey, pollen, and cerumen have been used as a source of income for generations. In addition, stingless bees are attached to the culture of indigenous people, especially the Mayan, in rural areas of America [4].

According to a research officer in the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), the specialty of the stingless bees is the ability to pollinate small-sized flowers due to their diminutive figure which cannot be achieved by the relatively big honey bee. Besides, the stingless bees are not choosey in building a colony hive. As a result, it is easier to build an artificial hive to manipulate the colony and increase the honey production. As the name suggests, the stingless bees do not sting; thus, it is easier to extract the honey, pollen, and propolis frequently. Furthermore, stingless bees are easier to handle compared to honey bees that are often lost, always abandon their hive, and are vulnerable to disease [5]. Likewise, stingless bee honey is unique as it originates from the rich vegetation in native environments. It has a distinctive sweetness mixed with a sour and acidic taste. The appearance of stingless bee honey is displayed in Figure 1. In contrast to the stingless bee population, the distribution of this honey is lower compared to that of the common honeybee. This is due to the limited knowledge about this honey, which has resulted in it being less popular in terms of its industrial production, shelf life, and quality standard [6]. Therefore, stingless bee honey should be further explored due to its mass production and convenience of management.

15/09/2021