Pollination by bees is essential for many plants. But how does bee pollination actually work? This article will tell you everything you need to know about bee pollination.
In summer you can see it almost everywhere: Bees are busily flying from flower to flower in search of nectar and pollen. While the hardworking animals look for food in the garden, they also perform another important task - pollination. In fact, about 80 percent of all flowering plants are due to pollination Beneficial insects like bees instructed. But not only the biodiversity benefits from the pollination by the busy animals, even hobby gardeners can learn about it Bees in the garden be happy. In fact, bee pollination increases the yield and also the quality features of many crops such as the apple (Malus) or the cherry (Prunus). But how does this actually work? This article will tell you everything you need to know about bee pollination.
How does bee pollination work?
Honey and wild bees play an important role in the pollination of plants. The plants even compete to ensure that the bees fly to them in any case with each other: Each plant tries to attract the pollinator-bee through fragrances and flower color to draw attention. In addition, the flowers hide pollen and nectar inside, which are the basic food for the busy bees. If a bee lands on a flower, it begins to suck up the nectar of the flower with its long proboscis and to collect the pollen in the so-called "pollen pants" on the hind legs. Since the bee usually has to go far inside the flower for this, small pollen stick to the hair of the pollinator.
If the bee now flies to the next flower and climbs in to catch the sweet nectar, it transfers the pollen to the scar, i.e. that female plant organ, the next flower - this is the pollination of the flower by the bee and seeds can ripen in the flower. A bee can pollinate up to 100 flowers during a single collective flight. Bees are extremely flower-proof. This means that they remain true to a plant species during their entire foraging flight, which means that the plants are optimally pollinated by the bees. Honey bees also use various dances to communicate particularly lucrative sources of food to their fellow bees - a single colony of bees can pollinate up to 20 million flowers a day.
Summary: pollination by bees explained in simple terms
- Bees are attracted by the color and scent of flowers.
- Inside the flower there is pollen and nectar, which serve as food for bees.
- When collecting nectar and pollen, pollen sticks to the bee's coat.
- The pollen is transferred to the stigma at the next flower - bee pollination has taken place.
- Bees are in bloom and share their lucrative location with their conspecifics through dances.
Which plants do bees pollinate?
Around 800 native plant species are dependent on pollination by bees, which is why the industrious insect is one of the most important beneficial organisms. A major advantage is the honeybees' high adaptability: Due to their medium size and Bees can pollinate a wide variety of flowers with their medium-length proboscis and show themselves to be real Generalists. Particularly bee-friendly plantsCommonly pollinated by honeybees are herbs like thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and sage (Salvia), bee friendly flowers like the mallow (Malva) or Phacelia (Phacelia) and bee-friendly shrubs as the raspberry (Rubus idaeus) or Wild roses (pink). Even trees like the willow (Salix) or fruit trees are pollinated by the animals.
With wild bees, on the other hand, things are a little different: of the almost 600 wild bee species, many are highly specialized. This means that wild bee pollination only works with special plants (families), depending on the species. This is how the little heather silk bee (Colletes succinctus) entirely on the pollination of heather (Ericaceae), especially the Common heather (Calluna vulgaris) specialized, while the Natterkopf mortar bee (Osmia adunca) strictly on snake heads (Echium) is aligned. Nevertheless, the pollination performance of wild bees should not be underestimated, as they particularly pollinate the flowers that the honeybees cannot fly to. The pollination of wild bees thus makes an important contribution to the conservation of wild flowers and herbs. In order to provide wild bees with the best possible food base, it is therefore worthwhile to rely on native wild plants. Flower meadows that consist of many different types of flowers and herbs are particularly suitable - such as these Plantura bee pasture. Due to the large number of different plant species, both honey and wild bees find food, which means that they can support the important beneficial insects.
If you want to find out what to watch out for when you own one Flower meadow or Create bee pasture want to have a look at our article.