29/10/2026
Bumblebees and plants have evolved to develop their own special ways of getting what they need from the other to survive 🌼🐝
Bumblebees get all their food (nectar and pollen) from plants. Plants need bumblebees to spread pollen and fertilise their flowers (we call this pollination) so they can produce seeds. Did you know:
🌷 Plants produce colourful flowers to attract bumblebees to them.
🐝 Bumblebees can fly to search for flowers across gardens and the wider countryside.
🪻 Plants create nectar in special structures called nectaries to reward bumblebees for visiting their flowers.
🐝 Bumblebees have evolved long tongues to reach these nectaries so they can feed from a wide variety of flowers.
🌻 Plants decorate their petals with patterns designed to guide bumblebees to the nectar.
🐝 Bumblebees have ultraviolet vision – they see where nectar is by following the petal patterns.
🌺 Plants produce lots of pollen and arrange it in places that will ensure a bumblebee gets covered when drinking nectar.
🐝 Bumblebees have thick fur and their hairs are branched at the tips – perfect for getting covered in tiny pollen grains!
What have you noticed about bumblebees and flowers? Have your local bumblebees had a favourite plant this year?
