Bees can identify quality nectar before landing

Bumblebees assess pollen quality using floral characteristics such as petal color and shape, a new study reveals.

 

Bees don't eat pollen while foraging, so researchers weren't sure if bumblebees actually form associative relationships between quality of pollen and flowers.

 

The study by researchers at the University of Exeter and colleagues shows that bumblebees don't just mindlessly move from one flower to another collecting pollen and nectar, but actually spot flowers that will provide good quality nectar even before they land on them.

 

To read the full article, visit Nature World News' website.