BEE - AUTIFUL!

When my family went on summer vacation we always drove.  While in the car, my
sister, Mac, would read and I, being the budding young scientist, would observe the
surroundings.  I noticed white boxes lining the countryside and asked my parents about them. To my amazement, they were bee boxes, full of bees kept by people to get honey and to pollinate their crops. This intrigued me!

We were recently driving on vacation and I saw boxes off in the distance. I wanted to know where honey came from, the role of bees, and why people would keep bees.  Even Mac, who finally noticed the boxes wanted to know more about the bees and the white boxes.

To fully appreciate bees, honey, and pollination, let’s start at the beginning.  Stick your head out of a window and you may smell the beautiful aroma of flowers blooming. Not only do these flowers smell nice, they are visually appealing as well.  This is no accident. These characteristics are designed to attract pollinators (insects, hummingbirds, bats, and bees) to the flower to help spread genetic material from plant to plant.

Pollinators like bees are drawn to showy plants to feed on nectar.  To reach the nectar, which is located close to the bottom of the flower, they inadvertently brush against the male part of the flower—the stamen—that holds pollen.  The pollen stays on the bees' bodies while they transport it with them from flower to flower.

When these pollen besotted bees arrive at a new flower for more nectar, they brush against the female reproductive part of the flower—the stigma—waiting for the pollen. Once the pollen comes into contact with the stigma, the ovule is fertilized and that plant’s life has just become fulfilled with future children.  The connection between pollinators and flowers is called a "mutualistic relationship" because both parties are being used and reaping benefits.  And we, too, reap benefits from such relationships. Consider that honeybees pollinate close to $15 billion worth of crops in the US alone each year. That's
a lot of strawberries, broccoli, and beans, to name a few.

Once bees have reached their maximum intake for nectar they return to the hive.  I must warn you, what happens next borders on the line of disgusting, so, if you like honey, you may not want to read past here.  To transform nectar, which has water and yeast in it, into honey, bees regurgitate it until it reaches its desired quality. Yummy! If they did not do this, the yeast would cause it to ferment.

Knowing now that I am putting bee vomit in my coffee in the morning does not deter me.  In fact, I think I will relish the fact that I am reaping the rewards of a beautiful partnership between flowers and bees.  I, however, do not think the same can be said for Mac, she has not been the same since finding this out.