Saturday, August 29, 2015

Bizzzzy Bumblebees


There is no denying that Bumblebees are the most effective pollinators in the world.  This worker is completely covered in pollen.  She is also drinking nectar from a thistle.  The male was just landing when I took this photo.  See his wings?  They are beating at about 130-240 beats per second!

Bees are too important to be ignored!!  Did you know that two-thirds of the world's crops rely on these amazing little creatures!  Without bees and other pollinators, there would be no fruit or vegetables.

Bumblebees live in colonies and are very social. The queen bee lays hundreds of eggs.  The male does not collect pollen or maintain the hive at all.  This is the job of the worker bees.  The male's main function is to fertilize the queen bee. 

Bumblebees scent mark flowers.  They do this to leave a message to the other bees that the nectar is gone.  This reduces time spent probing flowers without nectar.

How high can a bee count??
Answer: To a BUZZillion :-))

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