A Day in the Life of a Mariola Bee in Costa Rica

The first golden rays of sunlight pierce through the dense canopy of the Costa Rican rainforest, setting the jungle abuzz with life. Among the many creatures stirring, a tiny but mighty force takes flight—the Mariola bee, one of Costa Rica’s native Melipona bees, a stingless wonder whose delicate hum is a silent promise to the environment.

The Morning Forage: A Delicate Dance

With the first warmth of the day, I, a Mariola worker bee, leave the safety of my hollowed-out tree trunk hive and embark on my daily mission: finding the finest nectar and pollen for my colony. Unlike the larger and more aggressive European honeybees, my kind navigates the world with gentle persistence. My sisters and I are small, barely 4mm long, but what we lack in size, we make up for in determination.

Our first stop is the blooming guaria morada, Costa Rica’s national orchid, its violet petals radiant in the early light. Hovering just above, I extend my proboscis and sip the sweet nectar, savoring the complex flavors unique to rainforest flowers. Each sip is a gift to the colony, destined to be transformed into golden medicinal honey, prized for its healing properties by indigenous communities for centuries.

Midday Perils: A World of Threats

The rainforest is a paradise, but it is also fraught with dangers. As I flit from flower to flower, I sense a shadow overhead—a golden orb-weaver spider has spun its web near a cluster of trumpet flowers. I quickly shift direction, my tiny wings beating furiously to avoid its near-invisible trap. Survival in the jungle demands constant vigilance.

Yet, the greatest danger to me and my kind is not lurking among the leaves but in the expanding edges of civilization. Deforestation, pesticide use, and competition from invasive species have made our existence precarious. Once thriving across Costa Rica, our numbers have dwindled. Farmers and conservationists have begun to intervene, protecting our hives and planting the flora we rely on, but we remain endangered.

Afternoon Alchemy: The Making of Liquid Gold

Returning to the hive, I pass my collected nectar to my sisters, who work tirelessly to refine it into a thick, antimicrobial honey. Unlike the honey of European bees, ours is thinner, with a tangy, slightly acidic taste, packed with medicinal properties. People across Costa Rica value it for treating wounds, eye infections, and respiratory ailments. Yet few realize how rare it has become.

Deep within our hive, the queen continues her life’s work—laying the next generation of Mariola bees. She is our heart, and we, her workers, ensure the hive’s survival. Our days are spent in devotion to the balance of nature, pollinating rare orchids, fruit trees, and medicinal plants vital to Costa Rica’s biodiversity.

Sunset’s Embrace: A Fragile Future

As the sun dips below the horizon, I return to the hive, my wings tired but my spirit content. Another day of unseen but essential work is complete. Tomorrow, my sisters and I will rise again, tending to our rainforest, nourishing the land, and hoping that humans will recognize the delicate balance we maintain.

The Mariola bee is more than just a pollinator—it is a guardian of Costa Rica’s lush and vibrant ecosystem. But will our buzzing song still be heard in the years to come? Only time, and the efforts of those who care, will tell.