Another Stingless Bee Breeding Course was held in São José community within Trocano from 24th to 25th August 2022.
Following the success of the first stingless bee breeding training held in July, a second course was organised by the Trocano team together with IDAM, Borba City Hall and the Secretariat for the Environment.
This time the course was held in the community of São José, with members of the neighbouring communities of Purizinho, Piquiá and Caiçara also attending. 27 students attended the 2 day course in total.
The training was similar to the previous event, where the students were taught by Leonardo Silva. to learn about breeding and caring for stingless bees, which is known as meliponiculture.
The students were also shown how to build bee breeding boxes. Students donated hollow tree trunks from their communities which gave them the opportunity to become familiar with the bees and understand the management, handling and care techniques needed. The hollow tree trunks encase the bees which are then introduced into the breeding boxes when they are complete.
Learning the art of meliponiculture brings benefits to the residents of these communities. As many of them are rural cacao, papaya and acai producers, this can help them create additional economic opportunities. It also brings great environmental benefits through pollination.
