Did you know that bees are like little flying magnets? Their bodies are covered in tiny branched hairs that are electrostatically charged. As they buzz from flower to flower looking for nectar, these hairs attract pollen grains. The bees then carry this pollen to the next flower, playing a crucial role in pollination. And it’s a win-win situation for both plant and bee. When bees fly from flower to flower, the reward for the plants is pollination resulting in fruits or seeds. The reward for the bees are both nectar (which they eat or turn into honey) and pollen that they use to produce royal jelly or brood food for the larvae.
Honeybee collecting pollen from Sunflower
Pollen as Bee Food
While bees don’t make honey from pollen, it is made from nectar, pollen is a vital part of honey bee nutrition. It provides bees with proteins, vitamins, lipids, and minerals. The protein in pollen makes up most of the protein consumed by the bees. The amino acids in pollen are essential for numerous functions in the bees’ bodies.
Pollen from different plants have differing nutritional values, containing more or less protein, and with different amino acids as constituents. In Ireland, we have a lot of plants producing high-quality pollen. Such as clover, oilseed rape, and the Rubus family, which includes raspberries and blackberries.
Availability of pollen is essential for good larval development. Nurse bees (young adult bees) consume large amounts of pollen. This is then turned into royal jelly and brood food in the hypopharyngeal glands and fed to larvae. Coincidentally, what makes a queen bee become a queen bee, depends on how much Royal Jelly she is fed when she is a larvae…
Transporting Pollen from Flower to Hive
So, pollen is super important for the survival of honeybee colonies. But how do they get it from the flowers to the hive? When bees visit flowers, their bodies, covered in tiny, branched hairs, gather or attract pollen from the stamens, or the male reproductive part on the plant. As they visit another flower, some of the pollen is transferred to the sticky stigma, part of the female reproductive part of a plant, and the process of pollination is under way.
Bee covered in pollen foraging on a Mallow (Malva) in my garden
The Pollen Baskets
When the bee has gathered all the nectar it can carry in her stomach, or honeycrop, it’s time to head home to the hive. But the bee still has lots of pollen stuck to its body. This pollen could impair flying and she would risk losing the pollen in flight. Hence, she carefully brushes all the pollen off her body and gathers it in two little clumps on her hind legs, often referred to as pollen-pants. Bees have six legs, and it’s on the back pair where you’ll find the pollen baskets. These ‘baskets’, lined with hairs, secure the pollen grains to the leg. This makes it easier for the bees to fly without losing the pollen in the air.
A single pollen pellet may weigh just 8 mg. With a honeybee colony consuming between 12 and 34 kg of pollen per year, it’s staggering to realize just how many foraging trips are needed to make up the total amount of pollen required!
Hanna Bäckmo is an award-winning beekeeper, entrepreneur, hobby gardener and internationally published writer. Originally from a small island in Sweden, she now lives in East Cork with her son, two dogs, a flock of rescue chickens and lots of bees. Hanna is the founder of Hanna’s Bees, producing a unique range of natural and sustainable honey, propolis, and beeswax products sold in Ireland’s leading Gift & Artisan food stores and select US outlets. With 70 colonies of Native Irish honeybees, she is a passionate bee-advocate and educator and is an Ambassador for the Native Irish Honeybee.
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If you spot a swarm of honeybees, don’t panic. Stay calm and keep your distance. Swarming bees are not looking to harm you, they are simply looking for a new home. Contact a local beekeeper who can safely remove the swarm and relocate it to a more suitable location.
The Death’s Head Hawk Moth is a large, striking moth. It is a rare sight in Ireland and the UK, with only a handfull reported each year. However, the moth is known for its strong connection with honeybees. In this blog post, I will explore the fascinating world of Death’s Head Hawk Moths, and their unique relationship with honeybees. I will also shine a light on their place in history, mythology and culture.
What is a Pollen Basket?
Bees as pollinators
Did you know that bees are like little flying magnets? Their bodies are covered in tiny branched hairs that are electrostatically charged. As they buzz from flower to flower looking for nectar, these hairs attract pollen grains. The bees then carry this pollen to the next flower, playing a crucial role in pollination. And it’s a win-win situation for both plant and bee. When bees fly from flower to flower, the reward for the plants is pollination resulting in fruits or seeds. The reward for the bees are both nectar (which they eat or turn into honey) and pollen that they use to produce royal jelly or brood food for the larvae.
Pollen as Bee Food
While bees don’t make honey from pollen, it is made from nectar, pollen is a vital part of honey bee nutrition. It provides bees with proteins, vitamins, lipids, and minerals. The protein in pollen makes up most of the protein consumed by the bees. The amino acids in pollen are essential for numerous functions in the bees’ bodies.
Pollen from different plants have differing nutritional values, containing more or less protein, and with different amino acids as constituents. In Ireland, we have a lot of plants producing high-quality pollen. Such as clover, oilseed rape, and the Rubus family, which includes raspberries and blackberries.
Availability of pollen is essential for good larval development. Nurse bees (young adult bees) consume large amounts of pollen. This is then turned into royal jelly and brood food in the hypopharyngeal glands and fed to larvae. Coincidentally, what makes a queen bee become a queen bee, depends on how much Royal Jelly she is fed when she is a larvae…
Transporting Pollen from Flower to Hive
So, pollen is super important for the survival of honeybee colonies. But how do they get it from the flowers to the hive? When bees visit flowers, their bodies, covered in tiny, branched hairs, gather or attract pollen from the stamens, or the male reproductive part on the plant. As they visit another flower, some of the pollen is transferred to the sticky stigma, part of the female reproductive part of a plant, and the process of pollination is under way.
The Pollen Baskets
When the bee has gathered all the nectar it can carry in her stomach, or honeycrop, it’s time to head home to the hive. But the bee still has lots of pollen stuck to its body. This pollen could impair flying and she would risk losing the pollen in flight. Hence, she carefully brushes all the pollen off her body and gathers it in two little clumps on her hind legs, often referred to as pollen-pants. Bees have six legs, and it’s on the back pair where you’ll find the pollen baskets. These ‘baskets’, lined with hairs, secure the pollen grains to the leg. This makes it easier for the bees to fly without losing the pollen in the air.
A single pollen pellet may weigh just 8 mg. With a honeybee colony consuming between 12 and 34 kg of pollen per year, it’s staggering to realize just how many foraging trips are needed to make up the total amount of pollen required!
You can read more about pollen and its health benefit for both bees and humans here: Pollen – benefits for bees & humans
Hanna Bäckmo
Curious about the world of bees and honey? Join our newsletter to learn something new each week.
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If you spot a swarm of honeybees, don’t panic. Stay calm and keep your distance. Swarming bees are not looking to harm you, they are simply looking for a new home. Contact a local beekeeper who can safely remove the swarm and relocate it to a more suitable location.
Uninvited Guest: The Death’s Head Hawk Moth
The Death’s Head Hawk Moth is a large, striking moth. It is a rare sight in Ireland and the UK, with only a handfull reported each year. However, the moth is known for its strong connection with honeybees. In this blog post, I will explore the fascinating world of Death’s Head Hawk Moths, and their unique relationship with honeybees. I will also shine a light on their place in history, mythology and culture.