Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Pollinators at Work

Honeybee on an early bloomer in the Rose Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Mother's Day '14.


Carpenter bee on Camassia Quamash, Heather Garden, Fort Tryon Park.


Honeybee working a  heath blossom in the Heather Garden.







Honeybees collect pollen, which they take back to the hive to feed their young and themselves. With the long winter and late spring we've had, my guess is that the bees in these photos are collecting pollen, but it's impossible for me to tell.  Bees collect nectar to make honey, usually when the weather is consistently warmer.   Bees make beeswax and propolis too.  

Carpenter bees are pollinate also.  Due to the strength of their thoracic muscles they can actually loosen pollen from flowers that other pollinators can get at.  This ability is referred to as "buzz" pollination or "sonification."  







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