Bees, the epic workers

Bees are insects with a great importance in pollination. Pollination is the act of transfering pollen between flowers, which is needed for plants to make seeds and fruits. Numerous kinds of plants rely on this process for reproduction, as do crops that people grow for food. If there were no pollinators such as bees, the productivity of these crops would go down. That could result in less food availability for more consumers, and also more expensive food. There are many types of bees, such as honeybees, bumblebees and solitary bees. Honeybees are social insects and make honey by gathering nectar from flowers. They collect the honey in hives as food. Bumblebees, too, are social animals, although their colonies are smaller and seasonal. There is a misconception that solitary bees live in hives and produce honey. Each female selects the site for her nest and feeds her chicks. Bees come equipped with special body parts that help them gather pollen. Fine hair on the legs and body trap pollen grains. Some bees also have pollen baskets, structures that enable them to carry much pollen back to their nests. Bees are highly delicate and attentive to shifts in their external environment. There are also factors that can diminish their numbers, such as pesticides, lost habitat, and disease. Some places have noticed a significant reduction in the number of bees. Now researchers and even farmers are studying ways to protect them by planting more native flowers and cutting down on chemicals.