Have you ever stopped to wonder what exactly bees are doing while visiting flowers?
Honey bees play an integral part in our ecosystem. They act as pollinators, aiding in the growth process of new plants. How important is this, you ask? Consider this: we need food, so we need plants, so we need bees!
Whenever bees stop by a plant to feed, a bit of the pollen dust accumulates on their body. Each hind leg has an area of tiny hairs which curve inward and act as their pollen “basket”. What most people don’t know is what an intricate process it is to actually collect enough pollen to take back to the nest. Sometimes a bee must spend over 15 minutes attempting to fill its baskets. That’s a lot of work for a little pollen!
What if I told you that humans are consuming these tiny pollen granules as well? Indeed- bee pollen has properties known to benefit human health, such as essential amino acids, minerals, and lipids (Campos et al., 2008). Buying it in capsules or whole granules isn’t the cheapest method of obtaining these nutrients; however, it’s easily justified upon considering the bee’s time and effort spent collecting pollen.
So, the next time you see one of these pollinators buzzing around a flower, try not to disturb her. She has likely been quite the busy bee.
JayTee says
Excellent Article! Very interesting; I learned a lot! Before I say how busy I’ve been I will remember what a busy honeybee does to fill her basket. Thanks Author Harding!
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets says
Yep, I’m a fan of bee pollen. The health benefits, including allergy relief, are pretty impressive.