Our ecosystems are tightly knit intertwined connections between all sorts of different organisms. Animals need each other to live, plants need each other to live, animals need plants to live, and plants need animals to live. This harmonious connection between plants and animals is vitally important. One of these important connections is the role of pollinators. Bees are required to pollinate plants so they can reproduce. What do bees do with pollen? Bees will collect pollen from plants in order to use as a food source. This also allows for cross pollination of plants.

Bees get their nourishment from three things: water, pollen and nectar. The role of pollen in this food source is to be the source of protein for bees. Young bees that are still developing will have more requirements for protein than fully grown bees. So because of this, the quality of pollen and the amount that they can get is very important to the survival of the colony. Scientists have found a definite connection between the amount of protein content in the pollen and the longevity of the worker bees. More robust pollen equals more robust bees.

POLLEN RETRIEVAL BY BEES

Worker bees forage for its food daily. These insects use their ability to see to locate flowers and find pollen. Bees actually can’t see red, but they can see ultraviolet light. Because of this, red flowers are usually left for other pollinator such as hummingbirds. Many flowers have ultraviolet markings on them that we can’t see. These markings direct bees to those flowers because they can see them. These ultralight markings are called bee guides. Once a bee finds a flower, it will go inside and use the hairs on its body to collect the pollen. Many times it will actually have to buzz in order to open up the stamen, or male part of the flower to allow the pollen to come out. 

Once the pollen is removed and stuck in the hairs of the bee, it will scrape those pollen down to two pollen baskets found on the rear legs of the bee. Then the bee will go back to the colony and bring the pollen with it. Once the pollen is back in the colony, workers will use a glandular secretion to treat the pollen. This treatment protects it from bacteria and other microbes, and gives it some beneficial microbes that allow the amino acids and other nutrients to come out of the pollen. In this state, it’s known as bee bread. Bee bread can be saved for a couple months, but is usually not saved for very long. It’s becomes the food for Young bees and allows them to grow to full size. Your Tulsa pest control company will have more information.  

BEES AND NECTAR

Nectar is the carbohydrate component of a bees diet. This sugary sticky substance is carried from the flower of the plant back to the hive in a crop. The crop is a is an organ that carries the nectar much like a second stomach. Once it gets back to the hive, it will regurgitate this nectar into the crop of another bee there. These bees are known as House bees. They will regurgitate the nectar into a cell, adding more microbes to it creating honey. Before they use wax to cap off the cell, the honey will be allowed to sit in the open air for a time. House bees will start to flap their wings in order to pass air across the top of these open cells removing as much water as possible.

Honey can be stored for a much longer period of time. This will be their food source throughout the winter months. It’s very important the bees get enough of this during the summer months to survive the winter. A big problem in the Americas today are Africanized honeybees. These honeybees are much like the European ones, but they are much more aggressive. In addition to be much more aggressive, they are much more diligent in collecting honey. They will start earlier and stay going foraging later, sometimes into the evening. Africanized honeybees will also raid another beehive if resources are limited. Droughts, heat waves and other issues can cause a lack of nectar and pollen to be available. Call your Broken Arrow exterminator for more information.  

WATER

In addition to pollen and nectar, bees require water. Bees can forge for water in a number of different places. They can drink water from ponds, dog dishes, bird baths, mud puddles or any other source. Not only will they use this to hydrate themselves, they will also bring it back to the hive and fan these droplets into the hive. This process will help to cool down an overheated hive. It’s important to keep the young at a certain temperature in order for them to have the best chance of survival. A Broken Arrow pest control company can help.  

Bees are an integral part of our ecosystem. There are avid pollinators that allow plants to reproduce. Without them, fruits and vegetables would not survive. Every year we have fewer bees and other pollinators available to us. This is because of global warming, pesticides, construction, loss of habitat and many other factors. It’s important that if you’re using any kind of pesticide in your yard, that you are careful not to hurt bees, wasps or hummingbirds. These animals are very important to the survival of not only our animal ecosystem but the plant one as well.

DEALING WITH BEES

If you’re having an issue with bees, wasps or any other pets it’s time to call in a professional Tulsa exterminator. Here at TermMax Pest Control, we are the best in the business when it comes to dealing with bees or wasp that have found themselves in the wrong place. We service the greater Tulsa area including Owasso, Turley, Sand Springs., Prattville, Sapulpa, Broken Arrow, Catoosa, Coweta, Claremore, Jenks, Bixby and much more.  Call us today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!

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