Posts Tagged: pollen load

Pollen Party

Makes sense that the sunflower bee (Svastra spp.) forages on the genus Cosmos. Cosmos (also the common name) is a member of the sunflower family, Asteraceae. Sunflower bee: sunflower family. A specialist bee. On a recent trip to the Luther...

Sunflower bee (Svastra spp.) foraging on cosmos. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Sunflower bee (Svastra spp.) foraging on cosmos. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of pollen on a sunflower bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of pollen on a sunflower bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Packing It In

If you've ever watched honey bees work the blossoms, you'll probably see them packing pollen in their pollen baskets and cleaning their tongue as they buzz from flower to flower.Pollen is protein, and nectar, carbohydrates.  Worker bees collect both,...

Honey bee packing pollen while foraging on a nectarine blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey

Honey bee packing pollen while foraging on a nectarine blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey

Honey bee pauses to clean her tongue. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bee pauses to clean her tongue. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bee packing more pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bee packing more pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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