7 Things You Should Know about Bees and Other Pollinators
What are pollinators, and why do we need them? Read on to find out!
1. Pollinators provide about one of every three bites of food we eat.
Do you like honey? How about almonds? Raspberries? Peaches? Avocados? Pumpkins? Bananas? Thank a pollinator. We might not starve without them, but a plate of food would be a lot less palatable.
Nearly one-third of our food supply depends on insect pollination, most of which is accomplished by bees. Honeybees alone support approximately $15 billion worth of agricultural crops in the U.S. each year. And while it’s true that some plants are wind-pollinated, many fruits, nuts and vegetables rely on pollinators.
2. There’s more to a bumblebee’s buzz!
Certain plants keep their pollen stored away in a part of the stamen called the anther. Luckily, bumblebees and other buzz pollinators have a trick for gaining access to it.
When a bumblebee lands on a flower, it begins rapidly vibrating its thorax muscles. As the little bee buzzes, the force of the vibration expels the pollen from the anther. The bee can then scrape the particles into its basket and continue to the next flower.
A whopping 20,000 plant species are pollinated this way, including blueberries, cranberries, tomatoes and potatoes!
Continue Exploring
Conservation Stories (Part 1)
As the year winds down, we’re reflecting on some of our biggest conservation success stories of 2019.
Follow the Bobwhite Quail Survey
Forty years ago, the distinctive call of the bobwhite quail could be heard throughout Virginia’s grasslands. Now, their call is fading — silenced by changing farm practices and land development that have led to the quail’s steep population declines. The Smithsonian has joined a nationwide effort to...
Connecting with Coyotes
In Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, eastern coyotes join the ranks of top predators, along with black bears and foxes. Still, these clever canines face threats in their native habitat. Using GPS collars, scientists are about to embark on a study to piece together the movements of coyotes on the prowl.