Bees are under threat everywhere, and in Costa Rica there has been a dramatic decrease in the production of honey.
Agricultural officials are responding with a three-year project that provides more training. The project is being assisted by experts from Argentina, Uruguay and the Domnican Republic.
The Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal and the Instituto Nacional de Investigación, Innovación y Transferencia de Tecnología also are involved. The first effort was a weekend workshop at the Universidad Técnica Nacional in Atenas.
Organizers hope that the training reaches up to 500 beekeepers of the 1,782 in the country.
In all, Costa Rica hosts 45,500 colonies of bees.