The Honey Bus

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anther of one flower to the stigma of the same flower or another flower of the same species. This transfer of pollen is essential for the fertilization of plants and the production of fruits and flowers. Plants that are not pollinated cannot reproduce, making pollination an essential environmental process.

The most common and efficient mode of pollination is by insects such as bees. Bees visit flowering plants to gather nectar to turn into honey and pollen to feed their young. The bees collect pollen by rubbing their bodies against the anther, then use their legs to collect the pollen and push it into structures on their hind legs called pollen baskets. As the bees move from flower to flower, some of this pollen is lost and transferred to the stigma of other flowers. Honey bees and bumblebees are known to practice flower constancy, exclusively visiting a single species of flowering plant even when other sources are available. This is mutually beneficial, ensuring the plant’s survival and increasing the bees’ chances of finding productive sources of nectar and honey.

Globally, bee populations have declined significantly in the last century.