Food for bumblebees
Bumblebees are pollinators and eat a wide range of food sources. They are particularly attracted to flowering plants and consume nectar and pollen. These two nutrients provide bumblebees with the energy and nutrients they need to fly and reproduce. Bumblebees are not picky about the flowers they visit, but they prefer flowers with a large amount of nectar and pollen.They will also pollinate fruit trees, which makes them important for agriculture. Aside from flowers, bumblebees can also consume other food sources, such as juices from ripe fruits and honeydew (a sweet secretion of plants produced by certain insects).
How do bumblebees eat?
Bumblebees have a special structure that allows them to collect and consume food. Like other bees, bumblebees have a long, rollable tongue, also known as a proboscis, that allows them to suck nectar from flowers. This tongue can be extended to reach deep into the calyx, where the nectar is located. When a bumblebee visits a flower, it uses its legs to hold onto the petals while inserting its proboscis into the flower to collect nectar.
As they collect nectar, they come into contact with the flower's pollen grains, which stick to their hairy bodies. This pollen is then spread to other flowers, causing pollination. In addition to nectar, bumblebees can also collect pollen. They have special baskets on their rear legs, also known as baskets, in which they can store the collected pollen while flying from flower to flower. This pollen is also used as a food source and is mixed with nectar to make pollen bread, which is used to feed the larvae in the nest.
Food sources for bumblebees
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