The Contribution of Native Stingless Bees in Guatemala

When in November 2020, the devastating hurricanes Eta and Iota struck the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz, the neighbors of Campur, a village that was flooded for months after the storms, prioritized saving the hives of native stingless bees, the meliponines. Families took refuge in the mountains, and the honey from these insects was part of their economic sustenance while their homes and belongings were underwater. The meliponiculturists of the village, who are dedicated to the breeding of these bees, often recount this anecdote to exemplify how important these insects are to the Mayan worldview...