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Source publication
The indigenous knowledge on stingless bees was assessed using questionnaires and semi-directive methods from five farming communities around the Kakum National Park in the Central Region of
Ghana. Stingless bees are very good pollinators of both wild and cultivated crops and also produce honey and propolis that are medicinal. Even though these bees...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... majority of respondents (Table 6) know that stingless bee honey is useful for treat- ing a host of ailments including: eye infections, heart problems, impotence and asthma. They however do not know of any other useful hive product apart from the honey. ...
Context 2
... perception about conservation of stingless bees Respondents placed high value on stingless bees due to their role in pollinating crops, resulting in increased crop yields as well as the use of their honey for treating many ailments (Table 6). Karikllri _d K-"ong Table 3: Respondents description of stingless bees, nesting behavionr and local names Hence they concluded that efforts should be made to conserve them. ...
Similar publications
Stingless honey bees— commonly known as stingless bees— have long provided food and materials to the inhabitants of tropical America. We conducted a literature search to codify available information, including non-peer reviewed ‘grey literature’, on the purported value of stingless bees to indigenous people. Among >400 species of Neotropical stingl...
Citations
... These products have significant economic and cultural value across societies [9,[13][14][15][16]. Despite their global relevance, there remains a notable research gap concerning stingless bees, particularly in Africa [17]. ...
Background
Stingless bees are vital pollinators and honey producers in the tropics. Research on stingless bees is generally underrepresented compared to the western honeybees, and while stingless bee studies from some regions are reported, there is a particular lack of reports on the species endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. Since conventional entomological methods such as mark-recapture and radar harmonic tags suffer from limited observation counts and amount to a significant payload, fluorescent powder tagging offers a promising alternative to understanding their behavior. We deploy a hyperspectral fluorescence lidar monitors a 25-mm-wide transect in front of the hives.
Results
During a 1 day study at the International Stingless Bee Center, near Kakum National Park, Ghana, 17,862 insects were observed with the lidar, of which 7520 were tagged with fluorescent dyes. Approximately half of the bees from the selected hives were successfully tagged, with an estimated misclassification of 1%. According to our limited data, the observed species, Meliponula bocandei and the Dactylurina staudingeri exhibited different activity patterns. D. staudingeri displayed a half-hour longer active day, with clear crepuscular activity peaks. In contrast, M. bocandei activity was diurnal, with less pronounced crepuscular peaks.
Conclusions
We demonstrate how hyperspectral fluorescence lidar can monitor powder-tagged insects throughout the day. The monitored species revealed distinct activity patterns over the day. Our findings highlight the potential of this technology as a valuable tool for understanding insect behavior and environmental preferences of species, in situ, which could potentially give clues of response to climate changes of these critical species.
... Plebeina hildebrandti SLB are stingless bees with so many importance in the environment like pollination, provision of useful products (honey and propolis). However, people in the environment do not recognize the above importance and thus they tend to destroy the habitats of these bees (Assefa & Lemma, 2022;Karikari, 2007;Tita & Njoya, 2009) through clearing land for agriculture, road construction and other human activities which has led to the global decline in stingless bee species richness (Zattara & Aizen, 2021). Perhaps little researches (Karikari, 2007) have been made about these useful insects globally and locally and most researchers only study about the Apis melifella honey bees forgetting that there are small SLB which can be beneficial to man. ...
... However, people in the environment do not recognize the above importance and thus they tend to destroy the habitats of these bees (Assefa & Lemma, 2022;Karikari, 2007;Tita & Njoya, 2009) through clearing land for agriculture, road construction and other human activities which has led to the global decline in stingless bee species richness (Zattara & Aizen, 2021). Perhaps little researches (Karikari, 2007) have been made about these useful insects globally and locally and most researchers only study about the Apis melifella honey bees forgetting that there are small SLB which can be beneficial to man. These bees are capable of making good honey which is probably of the same quality with that of honey bees and little research has specified the properties of the honey of these bees. ...
... The farming practices of respondents have not changed from slash and bum as well as the use of pesticides. This is because they are unaware of the detrimental effects these have on the populations and survival of valuable insects (Karikari, 2007). According to the study, Pesticides and herbicide use (27%) affect these bees greatly. ...
... In addition, Dactylurina species defend their nests aggressively which may discourage domestication. In Ghana, Dactylurina staudingeri is locally known as 'tifuie' which means overgrown hairs due to their tendency to bite and entangle themselves with human hairs (Karikari and Kwapong 2007). Their honey is also rarely used and only harvested from wild nests. ...
... Stingless bee honey is highly regarded for its medicinal powers and is used to treat a variety of health ailments. Other studies also report on the use of stingless bee honeyto treat health problems including eye infections, respiratory infections, tumor, detoxification, vericose veins, kidney, wound healing, sleeplessness, impotence, asthma and heart problems (Vit et al. 2004(Vit et al. , 2015Cortopassi-Laurino et al. 2006;Karikari and Kwapong 2007; Reyes-González et their nests (Kajobe 2007;Chakuya et al. 2022). Natural habitats also provide nesting substrates which are naturally preferred by stingless bees. ...
The use to stingless bees in Tanzania is widespread, however, the traditional knowledge and practices are not well documented. This study assessed the traditional knowledge of stingless bees and their utilization in 21 Districts representing seven geographical zones of mainland Tanzania. Knowledge on stingless bees and their uses was collected using semi-structured interviews which were supplemented with field observations. Stingless bee samples from hives and natural nests were also collected for identification. We found that a total of six species of stingless bees are utilized in Tanzania namely Meliponula ferruginea (Lepeletier 1841), Meliponula togoensis (Stadelmann 1895), Meliponula beccarii (Gribodo 1879), Hypotrigona gribodoi (Magretti 1884), Plebeina armata (Magretti 1895) and Dactylurina schmidti (Stadelmann 1895). M. ferruginea was the most widespread species, found in all seven geographical zones. In many parts of the country, stingless bee honey is mainly obtained through honey hunting which employs destructive methods. Domestication of stingless bees (meliponiculture) is well established in the Northern zone where the majority of respondents domesticated stingless bees, and 74.1% of stingless bee hives were found in this region. Stingless bee honey is used primarily as medicine to treat health ailments including ulcers, respiratory infections, fire burns, wounds, asthma, broken bones, intestinal worms and reproductive problems. Generally, there is an overexploitation of natural stingless bee nests which threatens the sustainability of stingless bee populations and their natural habitats. We can build upon this knowledge to better utilize stingless bees and their products while protecting their populations and natural habitats.
... Among the native Achuar population of Ecuador stingless be honey is similarly used mainly as a remedy against respiratory disorders including colds and throat inflammation [15] . In Ghana also, asthma has been reported as among the various ailments commonly treated by local communities with stingless bee honey (Eardley and Kwapong 2013; [17] ). In the Sheka region of Ethiopia, stingless bee honey is used to treat tuberculosis, coughing, tonsilitis and asthma [18] . ...
Stingless bees live in tropical and subtropical areas around the world, however, stingless bee honey and other products have traditionally been used in the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world to treat various diseases since ancient times. Little has been done to document these traditional medicinal uses, particularly in Africa. Therefore, an ethnomedical survey was conducted in Baringo County, Kenya to document knowledge on medicinal uses ofstingless bee honey. The study was a cross-sectional survey in which semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data from randomly selected 327 residents in five sub-counties of Baringo County. Of these, 139 (42.5%) were men and 188 (57.5%) were women, with a mean age of 36.7 (range 18-94). Majority of the participants (29.8%) had primary education, 29.2% had attained secondary education and only 9.2% had no formal education. The results indicated that over 90% of the community members are not only aware of stingless bee honey, but also its medicinal uses. Treatment of respiratory disorders, infections, gastrointestinal disorders, sore throat and wounds are top most medicinal uses of stingless bee honey by the community. Importantly, the medicinal use of stingless bee honey was perceived to be associated only with mild side effects including nausea, throat irritation and loss of appetite, which are mainly due to intake of excessive amounts. Majority of participants 170 (52.8%) indicated that stingless be honey was not readily available despite the existing huge demand.
In conclusion, stingless bee honey is a popular therapeutic remedy for various health conditions among the native communities in Baringo County. Future pharmacological studies are needed to evaluate and validate the reported traditional therapeutic uses of stingless bee honey and its unique therapeutic properties. In addition, the potential of farming the local stingless bee species should be explored to meet demand and prevent overexploitation of the wild occurring stingless bee colonies.
... Stingless bees are one of the bee species that live mainly in tropical and subtropical warm temperatures areas of the world (Roubik 2006;Karikari & Kwapong, 2009;Kwapong et al., 2010). Ethiopia has immense potential for diverse honey plants that are known for being home to a large number of faunas including stingless bees. ...
The study was carried out with the aim of investigating the nesting ecology and nest structures of ground-nesting stingless bees in the highland and midland of the Dendi and Meta Robi districts, west Shewa. The high number of stingless bee nests per hectare was recorded in the highlands at 1.75±0.91 than in the midland at 0.37±0.54 (p<0.05). The mean nesting depth of 71.8±5.0 and 57.2±6.1cm and external nest entrance height of 1.63±0.03 and 1.64±0.08cm were observed in the highland and midland areas, respectively and their difference in all the variables were significant (p<0.05). Likewise, the mean nest length of 37.5±0.69 and 36.8±0.80cm were recorded for the highland and midland, respectively. The stingless bee soil depth, composition and structure varied based on altitude (highland and midland). The result of the present study soil analysis generally suggests this ground-nesting species prefer more of loam soil particle types to nest in. This study contributed to the scanty information on the nesting ecology and nest structures of the stingless bees and suggests further study on the same species and other stingless bee species of the country.
... Stingless bees are one of the bee species that live mainly in tropical and subtropical warm temperatures areas of the world (Roubik 2006;Karikari & Kwapong, 2009;Kwapong et al., 2010). Ethiopia has immense potential for diverse honey plants that are known for being home to a large number of faunas including stingless bees. ...
The study was carried out with the aim of investigating the nesting ecology and nest structures of ground-nesting stingless bees in the highland and midland of the Dendi and Meta Robi districts, west Shewa. The high number of stingless bee nests per hectare was recorded in the highlands at 1.75±0.91 than in the midland at 0.37±0.54 (p<0.05). The mean nesting depth of 71.8±5.0 and 57.2±6.1cm and external nest entrance height of 1.63±0.03 and 1.64±0.08cm were observed in the highland and midland areas, respectively and their difference in all the variables were significant (p<0.05). Likewise, the mean nest length of 37.5±0.69 and 36.8±0.80cm were recorded for the highland and midland, respectively. The stingless bee soil depth, composition and structure varied based on altitude (highland and midland). The result of the present study soil analysis generally suggests this ground-nesting species prefer more of loam soil particle types to nest in. This study contributed to the scanty information on the nesting ecology and nest structures of the stingless bees and suggests further study on the same species and other stingless bee species of the country.
... Meliponine bees (tribe Meliponini) are closely related to honey bees and bumble bees (Imperatriz-Fonseca et al., 2006;Reyes-Gonz alez et al., 2014) with over 300 species documented worldwide (Heard, 2001;Moreno & Cardozo, 2003;Reyes-Gonz alez et al., 2014). Of these, 19 are endemic to the African tropics (Eardley, 2004;Karikari & Kwapong, 2007;Kajobe, 2008;Kwapong et al., 2010;Chiawo et al., 2017) and ca. 14 are found in Kenya ( K Nkoba, pers. ...
Recent studies have shown that honey bees, bumble bees, and some meliponine bee species of the genera Trigona, Meliponula, and Dactylurina are hosts of the small hive beetle (SHB) Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), a pest of honey bee colonies in various regions of the world. Olfaction has been implicated in SHB infestations of honey bee and bumble bee colonies. We used olfactometer bioassays to investigate responses of adult male and female SHBs to odors from intact colonies and separate hive components (pot honey, pot pollen, cerumen, and propolis) of three African meliponine bee species, Meliponula ferruginea (Lepeletier) (black morphospecies), M. ferruginea
(reddish brown morphospecies), and Meliponula bocandei (Spinola) (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Although both sexes of the beetle strongly preferred intact colony, pot honey, and pot pollen odors, there was no evidence of attraction to propolis and cerumen odors from the three meliponine bee species. Both sexes of SHB also strongly preferred odors from honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), over odors from the three meliponine bee species. Our results provide substantial evidence of the host potential of African meliponine bees for the SHB, and we discuss this complex association of the SHB with species within the Apidae family.
... Meliponine bees (tribe Meliponini) are closely related to honey bees and bumble bees (Imperatriz-Fonseca et al., 2006;Reyes-Gonz alez et al., 2014) with over 300 species documented worldwide (Heard, 2001;Moreno & Cardozo, 2003;Reyes-Gonz alez et al., 2014). Of these, 19 are endemic to the African tropics (Eardley, 2004;Karikari & Kwapong, 2007;Kajobe, 2008;Kwapong et al., 2010;Chiawo et al., 2017) and ca. 14 are found in Kenya (K Nkoba, pers. ...
Recent studies have shown that honey bees, bumble bees, and some meliponine bee species of the genera Trigona, Meliponula, and Dactylurina are hosts of the small hive beetle (SHB) Aethina tumidaMurray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), a pest of honey bee colonies in various regions of the world. Olfaction has been implicated in SHB infestations of honey bee and bumble bee colonies. We used olfactometer bioassays to investigate responses of adult male and female SHBs to odors from intact colonies and separate hive components (pot honey, pot pollen, cerumen, and propolis) of three African meliponine bee species, Meliponula ferruginea (Lepeletier) (black morphospecies), M. ferruginea (reddish brown morphospecies), and Meliponula bocandei (Spinola) (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Although both sexes of the beetle strongly preferred intact colony, pot honey, and pot pollen odors, there was no evidence of attraction to propolis and cerumen odors from the three meliponine bee species. Both sexes of SHB also strongly preferred odors from honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), over odors from the three meliponine bee species. Our results provide substantial evidence of the host potential of African meliponine bees for the SHB, and we discuss this complex association of the SHB with species within the Apidae family. This study highlights how olfaction plays a key role in the attraction of small hive beetle (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), a pest of honey bee, to African meliponine bee species, Meliponula ferruginea (two morphospecies) and Meliponula bocandei (Hymenoptera: Apidae), and the beetle's potential to expand its host range to include various Meliponula species.
... Meliponine bees (tribe Meliponini) are closely related to honey bees and bumble bees (Imperatriz-Fonseca et al., 2006;Reyes-Gonz alez et al., 2014) with over 300 species documented worldwide (Heard, 2001;Moreno & Cardozo, 2003;Reyes-Gonz alez et al., 2014). Of these, 19 are endemic to the African tropics (Eardley, 2004;Karikari & Kwapong, 2007;Kajobe, 2008;Kwapong et al., 2010;Chiawo et al., 2017) and ca. 14 are found in Kenya ( K Nkoba, pers. ...
Previous studies have shown that natural honeybee and bumble bee colonies are hosts of the small hive beetle (SHB) Aethina tumida, a pest of honeybee colonies in various regions of the world. Recent studies also reported the presence of SHBs in colonies of certain meliponine bee species. In this study, we investigated whether SHBs detect odors of African meliponine bees and their hive matrix components. We also compared the chemical profiles of the honeybee Apis mellifera scutellata and meliponine bee odors in order to identify common potential semiochemicals between the two bee species. We used dual-choice olfactometric assays to test the responses of adult male and female SHBs to intact colony odors from six meliponine bee species, namely Hypotrigona gribodoi, Meliponula ferruginea (black), M. ferruginea (reddish-brown), Plebeina hildbrandti, M. bocandei and M. lendiliana and their hive matrix components including pot honey, pot pollen, cerumen (involucrum) and propolis (batumen). We found that female SHBs responded more strongly to odors from intact colonies, pot honey and pollen from five out of the six species tested than male beetles. Chemical analysis identified several common components in colony odors emitted by both honeybees and a representative meliponine bee species, M. ferruginea (black). In particular, nine of these common components previously have been shown in honeybee volatiles to be semiochemicals for the SHB, suggesting that African meliponine bees can also serve as potential alternate hosts for the beetle. The implications of these results are discussed in the context of domesticating African meliponine bees in man-made hives for the pollination of crops.
... Meliponine bees (tribe Meliponini) are closely related to honey bees and bumble bees (Imperatriz-Fonseca et al., 2006;Reyes-Gonz alez et al., 2014) with over 300 species documented worldwide (Heard, 2001;Moreno & Cardozo, 2003;Reyes-Gonz alez et al., 2014). Of these, 19 are endemic to the African tropics (Eardley, 2004;Karikari & Kwapong, 2007;Kajobe, 2008;Kwapong et al., 2010;Chiawo et al., 2017) and ca. 14 are found in Kenya ( K Nkoba, pers. ...
Previous studies have shown that natural honeybee and bumble bee colonies are hosts of the small hive beetle (SHB) Aethina tumida, a pest of honeybee colonies in various regions of the world. Recent studies also reported the presence of SHBs in colonies of certain meliponine bee species. In this study, we investigated whether SHBs detect odors of African meliponine bees and their hive matrix components. We also compared the chemical profiles of the honeybee Apis mellifera scutellata and meliponine bee odors in order to identify common potential semiochemicals between the two bee species. We used dual-choice olfactometric assays to test the responses of adult male and female SHBs to intact colony odors from six meliponine bee species, namely Hypotrigona gribodoi, Meliponula ferruginea (black), M. ferruginea (reddish-brown), Plebeina hildbrandti, M. bocandei and M. lendiliana and their hive matrix components including pot honey, pot pollen, cerumen (involucrum) and propolis (batumen). We found that female SHBs responded more strongly to odors from intact colonies, pot honey and pollen from five out of the six species tested than male beetles. Chemical analysis identified several common components in colony odors emitted by both honeybees and a representative meliponine bee species, M. ferruginea (black). In particular, nine of these common components previously have been shown in honeybee volatiles to be semiochemicals for the SHB, suggesting that African meliponine bees can also serve as potential alternate hosts for the beetle. The implications of these results are discussed in the context of domesticating African meliponine bees in man-made hives for the pollination of crops.