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THE MELIPONA BEE (melipona beecheii)
Today we will deal with a great gift from Yucatan for health and balance in our world. As we know, bees are a fundamental part of our environment to carry out pollination and in Yucatan we have a small bee (compared to the European one) of black color without a sting, The Melipona bee (melipona beecheii) also known as “The sacred Mayan bee” or stingless bees, It has been used for thousands of years by the Pre-Hispanic Maya of Mexico and Guatemala because its honey and waxes have multiple medicinal functions such as cell regeneration, its help to the immune system and the elimination of bacteria, scarring, etc. (www.beecheii.com, 2019). At least 40 species are known, several species are kept for honey production but the largest producer of honey from Melipona bees in Mexico is in the state of Yucatán. It is considered a “superfood” as well as being an essential tool in traditional Mayan medicine. These bees are extremely selective with the type of flowers they forage, they search for only the best to produce the richest and finest nectar, they obtain from Mayan forest a high quality honey with an unparalleled taste. Because of this selective behavior, melipona beehives only produce up to 3 to 4 liters of honey per year, which makes it a unique and highly valued honey. This elixir is used for medicinal purpose for its high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and amino-acids. The melipona beecheii lives in the jungle of the Yucatan Peninsula. These native bees make their nests inside the hollow parts of the medium and low forest trees (15 to 20 meters high). The presence of the bee “Xunancab” (name in Mayan language) is an indicator of mature rainforests in good conditions. Meliponiculture is one of several activities in the backyard that have been inherited from Mayan culture. The beehives are placed on the lot to facilitate their handling and care but they can also be in the bushes or in the cornfields. Currently, the production of honey from stingless bees is present in the Mayan communities attended mainly by women and the honey is used locally.
We await your comments, questions and what you need to know about this topic or what refers to our beautiful Yucatan peninsula.