From my understanding: I get that for honeybees, they need the nectar to make honey (their energy food source) and the pollen is an additional, essential food source for them which contains protein. They collect both nectar and pollen from flowers. For other pollinators like wasps, they don’t make honey but they still need to eat nectar and pollen which they collect from flowers. Though these pollinators benefit (survive/thrive) by collecting nectar and pollen from flowers, they also help plants to reproduce by carrying pollen between them and depositing it.

But why do they transfer pollen to other flowering plants? Of course this allows certain plants to reproduce, but that doesn’t explain why these pollinators care about helping plants reproduce. Are they little plant farmers who actually realise that transferring pollen and therefore making more plants, would benefit them? That would seem to demonstrate pretty high-level intelligence and foresight, planning wouldn’t it? Or is it just incidental that they’re going between flowers collecting nectar and pollen and happen to drop some pollen from previous flowers along the way?

I really struggled to find any information on the “WHY” of what bees are doing, from their own psychology point of view.

  • over_clox@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    14
    ·
    1 year ago

    Disclaimer: I am not an expert.

    With that said, I believe it’s mostly an accidental transfer as the pollen is basically a dust that easily carries on flying bugs legs.

    If I’m wrong and experts know a more scientific answer, feel free to downvote me into oblivion.

    • A_A@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      1 year ago

      Am not an expert either and I agree with you : like he guessed it is incidental.