The Armadillos and Honey Project was created in 2015, as complementary to research mapping the occurrence of giant armadillos in the Cerrado of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
The study period ended in 2018, and its results are available in the Guide for Coexistence between Beekeepers and Giant Armadillos in the Cerrado of Mato Grosso do Sul (Guia de Convivência entre Apicultores e Tatus-canastra no Cerrado do Mato Grosso do Sul).
Giant armadillo specialists went to the Cerrado of Mato Grosso do Sul for an initial survey on the presence of this animal (or lack thereof) in 500 watersheds with fragments of native vegetation.
They interacted with over a thousand farmers and rural producers to obtain permission and access to private land. They also contacted beekeepers, concerned about giant armadillos toppling and destroying beehives.
Many beekeepers place their hives near the last fragments of native Cerrado vegetation to guarantee the production of wild honey. Unfortunately, these are the same spaces used by giant armadillos for their survival.
Giant armadillos essentially feed on termites and ants. However, the availability of termite mounds and anthills in Cerrado fragments is low. Consequently, they resort to beehives, in search of bee larvae.
When talking with beekeepers in the Cerrado of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) about the damage caused by giant armadillos, our wildlife specialists started a complementary research project.
The objective, this time, was to understand when and why giant armadillos attack beehives and how to avoid damage to these hives.
Conflicts between humans and wildlife are common around the world. The most frequent conflicts involve felines (or other carnivores) and livestock, such as cattle, sheep, and poultry. However, there may also be damage to crops, caused by wild pigs and monkeys.
In the case of the Cerrado in MS, with the collaboration of 10 beekeeper associations, the researchers mapped out 178 apiaries. In all, 73% had experienced damage caused by giant armadillos in the last 5 years, and 46% in the last year.
In some apiaries, the specialists installed motion-triggered cameras. They were able to observe the behavior of giant armadillos and other wild animals, which occasionally approached the destroyed beehive boxes.
With images of giant armadillos recorded in the apiaries and immense contributions from beekeepers, several measures to avoid damage to the hives were evaluated regarding their efficiency, cost, and ease of installation/operation. Placing the beehives out of the reach of giant armadillos is the best way to promote their peaceful coexistence with beekeepers.
This can be done by building fences around the entirety of the apiary or by using tall, solid trestles/stands, with the beehives containing honey, bees, and bee larvae on top. The description of the various measures evaluated, their pros and cons, is in the Possible Solutions section on this website, as well as in the Guide for Coexistence between Beekeepers and Giant Armadillos in the Cerrado of Mato Grosso do Sul (Guia de Convivência entre Apicultores e Tatus-canastra no Cerrado do Mato Grosso do Sul), available below.
Em conjunto com apicultores, estão sendo desenvolvidoa novas práticas para proteger as colmeias de ataques do tatu-canastra e ao adotar estas medidas, todos os produtos (mel e derivados) desta propriedade receberão um selo de certificação, “Produtor amigo do tatu-canastra”. Assim, apicultores serão beneficiados e se tornarão protetores do nosso gigante da biodiversidade.
He works in the fields of Conservation Biology, the research and ecology of species, and the use of natural resources. He has worked and lived in Belize, Argentina, Bolivia…
Médico Veterinário graduado pela Universidade Paulista (2003), possui experiência em Medicina de Animais Selvagens, Medicina da Conservação e…
Graduado pela Universidade Federal da Grande Dourado (2009). Realizou estágios curriculares e extra-curriculares em projetos de conservação com experiência em captura…
Bachelor’s in Biological Sciences from Mato Grosso do Sul State University (UEMS), Master’s in Animal Biology from the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), and a specialization in Beekeeping and Meliponiculture through the University of Taubaté (UNITAU).
Veterinarian specialized in wild animals with a degree from the University of São Paulo (USP) received in 1985. He has worked in Environmental Education as one of his main areas of focus within conservation projects.
Graduada em Ciências Econômicas pela Universidade Paris X e em Marketing & Gestão pelo Programa de MBA da Reims Business School, atuou como Coordenadora de Projetos & Comunicação durante…
Graduado em comunicação Social com habilitação em Jornalismo, atua como assessor de imprensa do terceiro setor desde 2010. Apaixonado por fotografia e criação de conteúdo, chegou para somar com a equipe…
Beekeeper in the municipality of Campo Grande (central Mato Grosso do Sul). Collaborated with the Armadillos and Honey project by testing materials and methods of protection.
Beekeeper in Bataguassu (eastern Mato Grosso do Sul). Collaborated with the Armadillos and Honey project by testing materials and methods of protection.
Beekeeper in Três Lagoas (eastern-northeastern MS). Collaborated with the Armadillos and Honey project by testing materials and methods of protection.
Beekeeper in Bataguassu (eastern Mato Grosso do Sul). Collaborated with the Armadillos and Honey project by testing materials and methods of protection.
