Abstract: The stingless bees, Melipona, Trigona or Tetragonal species (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) are highly evolved social insects, live in cryptic colonies. They play a pivotal role in pollination and propagation of innumerable flowering plant species both at forest, cropland and human inhabited landscapes, besides providing medicinally important honey and other useful hive products to mankind since pre-historic times. Stingless bees are used to conduct Meliponiculture activity at different parts of the world. However, their inhabitation, economical and biological applications are not explored much compared to Apis species. Present investigation was conducted systematically by selecting different regions randomly which represented maidan (e.g. Bangalore and Ballary Districts), malnad (e.g. Chikkamagalore, Shimoga districts), hilly areas (e.g. Chikkamagalore and Kodagu Districts), coastal region (Dakshina Kannada and Uttar Kannada Districts), arid zone (e.g. Chamarajanagara District) and mountain ranges of Western Ghats (e.g. Kodagu and Chikkamagalore Districts) in Karnataka state. Beekeepers were randomly selected and met them personally using pre-tested questionnaire that included 15 parameters on various aspects about the Meliponiculture activity. Results revealed quite interesting facts. Bangalore and Kalasa (Chikkamagalore district) had more (16% each) Meliponiculturists and it was followed by Kodagu and Sagar (Shimoga district) (8% each). Highest (48%) beekeepers are conducting Meliponiculture on part-time basis, 44% beekeepers doing Meliponiculture on full-time basis and few (8%) beekeepers are practicing Meliponiculture just for hobby. Interestingly, Doctors, Government Employees and Non-government Employees are practicing Meliponiculture on small (68%), medium and large scale (12% each) basis. Beekeepers are using Apis cerana (64%), A. cerana and A. mellifera together (20%) and stingless bees (only 8%) to produce honey. Stingless bees are reared mainly in wooden boxes (47.8%), Areca nut and Bamboo logs (10.9%). However, PVC pipes, Glass boxes, Plywood sheet made boxes, PVC-thermo coal coating pipes, coconut shells, mud pots, clay pots, Acacia wood logs, wood polymer composite and Terra-cotta-clay pots were also used  to rear stingless bees. Surprisingly, stingless bee honey production potential was very less compared to Apis species honey production. Moreover, income generated from Meliponiculture activity, time taken to produce honey, purpose of honey production and biological constraints such as pests and predators interferences during the stingless bees rearing indicated more attention is required to safeguard Meliponiculture activity. Despite the constraints and challenges, there is a wide scope prevailed to do Meliponiculture at different districts to showcase its cultural importance to the younger generation. Legacy of stingless bees in terms of pollination and honey production in the name of Meliponiculture shouldn’t be ignored. In this regard, more assistance and encouragements are required to popularize Meliponiculture activity amidst croplands and human inhabited domestic conditions at different parts of Karnataka, India.

Key words: Beekeepers, Meliponiculture activity, Karnataka.

| DOI: 10.17148/IARJSET.2024.111120