Bees-Farmers' Friends

9 Bees--Farmers’ Friends I love insects, all kinds of insects. My favourite is the honeybee. I love everything about this energetic little creature. My respect for honeybees began when I was a youngster, visiting my great uncle's farm. Great Uncle George kept animals, but he made most of his living from his apple orchard. After breakfast one spring morning, he invited me to help him work with the bees that he kept in his orchard. The apple trees were in full bloom. " It's very important that we take care of the bees, " he explained. " Everyone who grows food needs their help. Bees are pollinators-they help move the pollen from one flower to another. They make reproduction in the plant world possible. Without pollination, there would be no apples, no pears, no beans and no rice. " He asked me if I understood how plants made new plants. I told him that I didn't. He explained that some plants are males and some are females. They develop flowers, and on certain parts of these flowers, they produce pollen-a tiny sticky substance. For a female plant to reproduce, it needs some pollen from a male plant.

“ Bees are the main source of pollination in the plant world, " he continued. " The bees are attracted to flowers because they're after something inside the flower that they use to make their food. Bees go right inside the flower and use their uniquely designed mouths to collect a sweet substance known as nectar. As they gather nectar, a substance called pollen sticks to their bodies. “ When bees move on to the next flower, they are helping plants to reproduce. Some of the pollen caught on their legs and bodies falls off on the next plant they visit. If it's a female, the pollen will do its work and the female can reproduce. It can make fruits and vegetables containing seeds. " My uncle's explanation stuck with me for weeks. My fascination with honeybees continued as I grew older. Thank you, honeybees, for helping all the wonderful flowers, fruits and grains to exist.