February ‘22 Honey Pot – Stories From The Hive

Welcome to this month’s Honey Pot Stories from the Hive. Recently, I was reading some fascinating information about the relationship between bees and flowers. I thought I would share it with you as I know you, too, will be as intrigued as I. Their Relationship is literally, electric!

Biologists have known for a long time that bees build up a static electric charge as they fly.
Wings beating at 200 plus times per second pick up electrons from the air, producing more than a 100-volt positively charged insect.

Plants, in their turn, have negative or neutral charged flowers. Since opposite charges attract, this helps the hairs on the pollinator bodies to “stand on end” and pull pollen from flowers while distributing the discharge like thousands of tiny lightning rods. Bee’s wings beat so fast they pick up static electricity as they fly.

The female American bumblebee (as pictured) has not only collected nectar and milkweed pollen that can be seen on her legs; she has also added an invisible positive static charge to the flowers she is leaving. That charge can be detected by other browsing bees. To them, it means there is no useable food here, so pick an uncharged flower head.

As the charge gradually wears off, the flower produces more nectar. Sensing no charge, bees will come to feed, deposit pollen, and cross-pollinate the flower to make seeds.

I am off to have a honey tea now and once again, take pleasure in knowing just how intelligent and special my little bees are!

Have a bee-ti-ful day,

TK x