Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Pollen carrier

Apis mellifera, the western honey bee, with her* bags full of pollen (not honey):


Zoom

Zoom, zoom

Quite a load she was carrying; she seemed to be flying clumsily, but she was still busy collecting more.

A honey bee moistens the forelegs with a protruding tongue and brushes the pollen that has collected on head, body and forward appendages to the hind legs. The pollen is transferred to the pollen comb on the hind legs and then combed, pressed, compacted, and transferred to the corbicula on the outside surface of the tibia of the hind legs.[3] A single hair functions as a pin that secures the middle of the pollen load. (From Wikipedia/Pollen Basket)

*Worker bees are infertile females. The males are drones; they do not fight, they do not gather pollen.

Found in the Secret Garden, Tsawwassen.
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