Perfil zootécnico da meliponicultura no Estado do Ceará, Brasil

Abstract

Work with stingless bees are called meliponiculture. It is an sustainable activity which supports the preservation of both bees and environment through pollination services provided to the native plants, as well as increase the income of farmers. The main objective of this work was investigate the currently status of the meliponiculture in Ceara, Brazil. Were interviewed 159 stingless beekeepers who are distributed in whole state. The applied questionnaire has objective and subjective questions, all about their personal, professional and environmental features; meliponary, hives, handling characteristics applied to colonies etc. At the same time were collected specimens of bees from their colonies to accurately identify the kept species. The results were shown by percentage and highlighted that jandaíra bees (Melipona subnitida) is the most common specie kept in the state. Most of the stingless beekeepers still practicing that activity traditionally and the knowledge about meliponines biology and handling sometimes are incipient as much as the handlings are ancient. Were observed that handling practices as artificial feeding are extremely important to maintain and increase of the colonies productivity. The technical training for beekeepers is extremely important to reduce depredatory practices to meliponines, besides improve productivity and teach good manufacturing practices around stingless bees products. The meliponiculture have a huge potential to evolve and is possible to realize a significantly grown on that activity in recent years. In spite of it is needed better support from the government to these stingless beekeepers in form of building or support projects which encourage the activity, the confection of handling plans and environment conservation.