Publications (in pdf) on the Biology and Keeping of Stingless Bees

Publications:

• Social Mechanisms in Stingless Bees (pdf; 4.3MB)
  PhD dissertation M.J. Sommeijer, UU, 1983
   
• De angelloze-bijencultuur in Midden en Zuid-Amerika (pdf; 5.4MB)
  MSc Thesis Harriet de Jong, UU, 1992
   
• The land of corn and honey (pdf; 17.8 MB)
  PhD dissertation Harriet de Jong, UU, 1999
   

The biological function of the 'excessive' production of gynes in Melipona: why do workers of Melipona chase their sister-gynes out of the nest?

With numerous students in Utrecht and in the tropics, we have been working from 1976 until 2006 on the behavioural ecology of stingless bees (see: publications). We studied mainly Melipona favosa as a model for this group.This species occurs in the northern area of South America, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies.
Generally, our method consisted of detailed longduration observations inside colonies (often with individually marked bees) that were installed in dark rooms in the Utrecht lab and in the natural tropical environment where colonies had free flight.

One remarkable feature of Melipona stingless bees is that an excessive number of young queens is permanently produced. We reported in 2003 for the first time that the numerous 'superfluous' virgin queens are not all killed by their sister workers. Until this important finding, the view prevailed that surplus Melipona gynes are all killed by the workers. This result had impact on the understanding of reproductive behaviour of stingless bees. Some papers of this part of our work, published in Entemologische Berichten, are available below in PDF-format.

• Reproductive behaviour of stingless bees: nest departures of non-accepted gynes and nuptial flights in Melipona favosa (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini)
   
• Reproductive behaviour of stingless bees: solitary gynes of Melipona favosa (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini) can penetrate existing nests
   
• Behaviour of males, gynes and workers at drone congregation sites of the stingless bee Melipona favosa (Apidae: Meliponini)
   
• How the production patterns of sexuals may contribute to genetic variation in Melipona favosa

A new type of hive for keeping stingless bees

During our long-duration research work on the biology of stingless bees we developed a type of hive that allows for convenient honey harvest without causing damage to the colony. Luc de Bruijn played an important role in this work. The design of this hive was published in 1999 in Bee World 80: 70-79. With the permission of the International Bee Research Association, this paper can be downloaded in PDF format.

Download the paper in PDF format (6MB).