But what is popularly known is that bees collect nectar to make honey. They mix pollen and nectar with their saliva and feed it to the larvae. They also get nutrition from pollen and use nectar for energy. Queen bumblebees utilize pollen to ripen their eggs. Here we would like to point out that different pollinators use nectar and pollen differently. How do plants attract pollinators so that they pick up the pollen and transport it? The answer is through sweet, liquid nectar. So, the pollinators have to be attracted. Here the pollinators come into the picture. It will distribute some types of pollen but most pollen is too heavy. When plants have roots and cannot move, making this kind of transfer is a challenge. called cross-pollination to fertile seeds. referred to as self-pollination or another flower of the similar species i.e. It has to be taken to the female flow part (stigma) of either the same flow i.e. Pollen is fine, typically yellow, the sticky powder that is seen on the male flower parts- stamen. They work all spring and summer so they have plenty of food to make it through the fall and winter. Just as gardeners might or freeze excess vegetables from the summer harvest to enjoy throughout the winter, bees essentially do the same. The bees keep honey in comb cells capped with wax for future use. This is the bee’s winter stockpile for times of the year when flowers are not in bloom. The pollen leaves the male and is received by the female to produce fruit. Think of the pollen as sperm in the reproductive process. The female part is called the pistil and has a sticky end (stigma) which is capable of collecting pollen. The male part is called the stamen and produces a sticky powder called pollen. The un-ripe honey is then stored in comb cells where worker bees fan it with their wings to evaporate the rest of the excess water until it becomes honey. This passage also helps remove some of the excess water. An enzyme in the bee’s stomach turns the sugar into diluted honey. Once back at the hive, the nectar is passed from bee to bee. Excess nectar is stored in the bee’s stomach until it gets back to the hive. The nectar on its own provides immediate energy in the form of carbohydrate sugars. Worker-foraging bees collect nectar by sucking droplets with their proboscis (a straw-like tongue, see figure below). Roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruit use this sugar supply to grow. The nectar flows through the plant and feeds it. The sugar flows through the plant (think sap flow from a Sugar Maple tree). The plant draws in carbon dioxide and water and produces sugar using the energy from the sun. Nectar actually begins in the leaves of plants. As they collect nectar, pollinators accidentally carry the pollen from male to female flower. Bees collect nectar to convert it into honey. Nectar is the sweet substance that is made by some plants so that they attract pollinators like butterflies or bees. Pollen is made by anthers- male reproductive organs that exist in most flowering plants. Pollen is a fine powder from the male flower that can fertilize the female flower to produce seeds. Pollen contains protein, fat and other nutrients that are needed by the pollinators while nectar has sugar, vitamin oils, salts and other nutrients that are a source of high energy for pollinators. So, we thought about sharing a bit of information on nectar and pollen. The awareness about bee pollen and honey has increased but its benefits are yet to be known to many of us.
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