Tuesday, May 18, 2010

What attracts bees to flowers?

i heard different things about bees. such as they are color blind, or they only see purple. i doubt they have noses or maybe they do. idk. in 6th grade i was wearing a purple shirt and we were outside. a bee landed on me and wouldnt leave. a year or two ago i was wearing a pink shirt and bees were coming after me. i changed to white and they stopped. what makes them come after colors? did they think the purple and pink were flowers?

What attracts bees to flowers?
Bees are attracted to shapes of flowers, colors and scents. The bee that was on your purple shirt might have been resting. It's more likely that the bees were attracted to a scent you were wearing, either perfume or the scent of your shampoo. A few years ago there was a shampoo called "Herbal Essence" that was particularly attractive to honey bees. In addition, I don't believe that honey bees "see" colors the same way that we do.
Reply:They are attracted to the scent the pollen emits. Also, they can detect scents and that is why they are around you.
Reply:POLLEN!!!!
Reply:The most common bees, especially early in the season, are the honeybees. As they hibernate for the winter, they must store plenty of honey. Bumblebees appear later in the season. Male bumblebees die after mating, the workers die at the end of the season, and so only the females survive. They hibernate in holes in the ground, old mouse nests, and similar places.





The worker honey bee collects pollen on brushy hairs, storing it in leg pockets. Worker bumblebees have a long proboscis to collect nectar, something other bees can't do. The other common bees are the solitary ones (Adrenidae family) that don't live in colonies.





Bees are attracted to flowers that are colorful or contrast well with their background, or have an ultraviolet coloration that serves as a nectar guide. This is especially true in the case of red flowers, which bees don't see unless they contain some ultraviolet light, which we usually don't see.





To a bee, flowers represent a source of food; they are visited for the collection of pollen and/or nectar. Flowers that secrete large amounts of nectar or pollen are thus highly attractive, and those that do not produce much nectar or pollen are rarely visited. Attraction is also dependent upon color and scent. Brightly colored flowers usually attract bees, at least for an initial inspection visit. Blue, yellow, orange, purple, and white flowers are all inviting to foraging bees. The most attractive floral colors are blue, yellow, and white; especially yellow and white, which reflect ultraviolet light.
Reply:Pollen duh...
Reply:Bees are able to see more of the shortwave UV than we can but they see other colors and textures just fine. The bees after you were probably confused by your smell more than your color. Beekeepers wear white and cover there hair because it is less likely to arouse the bees. If you want to turn a very calm and peacefull hive into a hornets nest try working them wearing a dark shirt or fur coat. Bees evolved to attack dark furry animals like bear, raccoon and skunk. Trivia - Bears aren't attracted to bee hives for the honey, they're after the bee larva. I've had bears destroy my hives and leave all the honey.


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