Conhecimento dos apicultores da comunidade Santiago em Bela Vista do Piauí sobre a relevância das abelhas para a produção de mel e o meio ambiente

Abstract

Bees belong to the order Hymenoptera and are considered important bioindicators of environmental quality and develop relationships with local flora that guarantee the balance of ecosystems. Furthermore, they are responsible for the production of various products, such as royal jelly, propolis, wax, apitoxin, pollen and honey, which is a fundamental resource in beekeeping, representing an important source of income for beekeepers. In this context, the objective of this research was to analyze the knowledge of beekeepers in the Santiago community, in the municipality of Bela Vista do Piauí, about the relevance of bees for honey production and the environment. For this, a semi-structured questionnaire was applied on the knowledge of beekeepers about the importance of bees for the environment and their relevance for honey production in the community. The research was conducted between December 2023 and January 2024, involving 40 beekeepers who work with honey production in the rural area of the municipality. The results revealed that beekeepers have a good level of knowledge about bee biodiversity and its importance for the ecosystem and honey production, making it possible to observe that beekeeping has great potential in the region. This study serves as a reference for future work, especially for training and raising awareness among beekeepers.