The Amazing and Delicate World of Bees
SciShow・2 minutes read
Bees buzz to release trapped pollen in flowers through buzz pollination, with honeybees unable to perform this action but bumblebees and other bees capable of using tools like tuning forks. Other pollinators like bumblebees and native wild bees could potentially step in to pollinate crops if honeybees were to go extinct, highlighting the importance of supporting biodiversity for continued pollination services.
Insights
- Bees, particularly bumblebees and certain solitary bees, engage in buzz pollination by vibrating their bodies to release pollen trapped inside flowers, a crucial mechanism for pollination.
- Yeasts found in nectar form a symbiotic relationship with bees and flowers, influencing nectar scent, aiding in bee health, suppressing gut parasites, and increasing flower temperatures to attract bumblebees for efficient pollination.
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Recent questions
Why do bees buzz when they fly?
Bees buzz when they fly to release pollen trapped inside flowers with porocityl anthers through buzz pollination.
Can honeybees perform buzz pollination?
No, honeybees cannot perform buzz pollination, but bumblebees and certain solitary bees can achieve this.
What would happen if honeybees went extinct?
If honeybees were to go extinct, other pollinators like bumblebees and native wild bees could potentially step in to pollinate crops, but it could still impact crop yields, especially for certain fruit, seed, and nut crops like macadamia nuts.
What other species are essential pollinators besides honeybees?
Various species like butterflies, flies, moths, birds, and mammals also play crucial roles as essential pollinators, supporting biodiversity and native species.
How do bees memorize rewarding flowers?
Bees engage in learning flights to memorize rewarding flowers based on sugar content, with larger bees showing more effort in remembering.
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Summary
00:00
Importance of Bees in Pollination Ecosystem
- Bees buzz when they fly, with some species buzzing for unique reasons like buzz pollination to extract pollen from flowers.
- Buzz pollination involves bees vibrating their bodies at high speeds to release pollen trapped inside flowers with porocityl anthers.
- Bees vibrate their bodies at about 400 beats per second to create a distinct buzzing sound when on a flower, unlocking pollen.
- While honeybees can't perform buzz pollination, bumblebees and certain solitary bees can, but tools like tuning forks can also achieve this.
- If honeybees were to go extinct, other pollinators like bumblebees and native wild bees could potentially step in to pollinate crops.
- Honeybees are not the only essential pollinators, with various species like butterflies, flies, moths, birds, and mammals also playing crucial roles.
- Losing honeybees could impact crop yields, especially for certain fruit, seed, and nut crops like macadamia nuts, which rely heavily on honeybee pollination.
- Supporting biodiversity and native species, including other pollinators, is vital to ensure continued pollination services in the absence of honeybees.
- Bees engage in learning flights, where they memorize rewarding flowers based on sugar content, with larger bees showing more effort in remembering.
- Yeast, a fungus found in nectar, forms a unique relationship with bees and flowers, feeding on nectar sugar and potentially affecting pollinators' nutrition.
13:17
Yeast in Nectar Benefits Bumblebee Health
- A 2018 study showed that yeast can alter nectar scent by changing its chemistry, impacting pollinators.
- In 2019, a group in Belgium conducted an experiment with buff-tailed bumblebees and found that yeast in nectar positively affected bee behavior and health, leading to healthier colonies.
- Yeasts in nectar can store nutrients in their cell walls, potentially aiding bees even with lower nutrient nectar.
- Yeasts in nectar can suppress the growth of a bumblebee gut parasite, contributing to overall bee health.
- Yeasts in nectar increase flower temperatures, making them more appealing to bumblebees, aiding in pollination and forming a beneficial relationship.
