Revisão de literatura: importância das abelhas nativas (meliponas) para os pequenos produtores.

Abstract

Brazil is a country rich in species of native bees, known for not having stingers, being present in the Brazilian territory about 300 species, important for the ecosystem through the process of pollination, the creation of stingless bees has been developed a long time in several regions of the country, especially in the North and Northeast of Brazil. This work aimed to highlight the importance of the creation of stingless bees for small producers, seeking information on their behavior, environments, differences among bees, habits, highlight the honey properties, commercial importance and changes in local vegetation, with the help of the empirical knowledge of the meliponicultor and of researches carried out in the literature. Uniting all the information in the course of the work could be realized the importance of these bees to the nature that shows more exuberant with its presence. It was also observed the importance of the same when it comes to small producers, since it has the possibility of improvements in quality of life and income through the marketing of by-products removed from hives, so it is noticeable that stingless bees are of great importance environmental, economic and social spheres.