Some bees use perfect pitch to release pollen from flowers, a technique called buzz pollination. (Gosh, I wish I could sing a perfect note on cue!) Buzz pollination is like a secret password to gain entry into a clubhouse, because tone-savvy bees can unlock and release the pollen from some flowers when they know the password.
Buzz pollination is also called sonication. It’s when a bee makes specific strong vibrations while standing on the anthers inside a flower. The bee uses its wing muscles to vibrate its body and shake loose pollen that’s hidden inside the anther.
Turn up the volume to hear what buzz pollination sounds like. This bumblebee is visiting purple flowering raspberry (Rubus odoratus).
Can all bees buzz pollinate?
No, only bumblebees and some solitary bees, such as sweat bees and carpenter bees, have been observed using buzz pollination. Honeybees have never been seen using this technique. Bumblebees and solitary bees don’t automatically know to use buzz pollination, but they are born with the ability. They learn to vibrate at a certain frequency after inspecting flowers a few times and refining their skill to release pollen. (Read more about the study, here.)
Do all flowers need buzz pollination?
No. Eight in 100 types of flowers are pollinated using this method. Some are common plants you know, including tomatoes and blueberries. What’s special about these 8% of plants is their flowers keep the pollen hidden away inside the anthers, which are technically called poricidal anthers. Most other flowers give away pollen freely on the outside of their anthers.
Tamawi’s Tidbit: The password needed to release pollen is the sound of middle C. Middle C is the same note as “Hey” in the Beatles song “Hey Jude”. If you have a middle C tuning fork, you could hold it near a flower with poricidal anthers and the pollen will shake out.
Why do bees want pollen?
Bees gather pollen and flower nectar for food. Pollen contains more protein than flower nectar, which is especially good for baby bees.
Why do plants give away pollen?
Pollen needs to spread to the part of a flower called a stigma so the plant can produce seeds. Some plants rely on insects to spread pollen, instead of wind or other animals.
I found the bee in my video because I noticed the bumblebees were especially noisy whenever they landed on a flower of a specific plant. Can you use your sense of sound and sight to find bees buzz pollinating? Let us know which flowers you found bees below in the comments.
If you’re looking for more things to hunt for in your neighborhood, then check out these other Scavenger Hunt topics.
Of if you’re a keen observer, then you might want to test your skills with a project called Before Cameras Existed.