AT A GLANCE
Is Lungwort a Food Source for Bees?
Is lungwort a food source for bees?
lungwort serves as a food source for bees. Pulmonaria officinalis provides nectar and pollen to insects. It is primarily the early-flying wild bees that benefit from real or spotted lungwort. This is due to the early heyday the plant from mid-March to May.
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The nectar-rich flowers provide the insects with sufficient energy in spring. They use the pollen to feed the brood. this one
- collect the wild bees,
- then store it in their transport devices on the hind legs and
- eventually fly him to the nest.
Which bees fly at lungwort?
Lungwort is used in particular by early-flying bees visited. If you have the medicinal plant in your green oasis, you can certainly use one or the other bumblebee watch on her. The latter is one of the long-snouted wild bees and can therefore easily access the nectar in the specially shaped flowers.
In addition, Osmia pilicornis, a species of mason bee that is rarely found in this country, specializes in lungwort, which is why they do too Lungwort Mason Bee is called. It mainly uses the pollen of the plant. This also applies to the Spring fur bee, which also likes lungwort.
How do bees react to the color of lungwort flowers?
Bees pull them pink flowers of the lungwort before the violet-blue ones. This is because the former promise them more nectar and pollen. The insects perceive the flower colors differently than we humans, since they do not see red and violet light. But they recognize it in their own way when the flowers of the perennial are particularly rich in nutrients.
Tip
The flower color of the lungwort changes
The flowers of the lungwort are bright pink at first and turn violet-blue after about four days, which is about halfway through their lifespan. This is because the pH of the flower cell sap changes from acidic to alkaline.
