Of the eight recognized species of honeybee in the world, none are native to North America. The ubiquitous and indispensable western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is actually an immigrant from Eurasia, introduced to the Americas by European colonists in the 17th century. There are, however, honey-producing bee species native to Central and South America, and you can visit an apiary showcasing six of them at La Meliponicultura in Mexico’s Rancho Grande Valle Nacional. Many of these native bee species (which belong to a group called Meliponini) would be dwarfed by western…
