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Bite, buzz, release: How bees make flowers give up their pollen

Bite, buzz, release: How bees make flowers give up their pollen
Phys.org Friday 11 September 2026, 19:40 UTC 1 min read
Key Points

Life is not always easy for a bee: Not all plants place their pollen outside. Some flowers have to be set to vibrating before the pollen can get out of their tube-like stamens. Certain bee species have developed a special technique for this: They bite on the flower and use their flight muscles to generate rapid vibrations.

Life is not always easy for a bee: Not all plants place their pollen outside. Some flowers have to be set to vibrating before the pollen can get out of their tube-like stamens. Certain bee species have developed a special technique for this: They bite on the flower and use their flight muscles to generate rapid vibrations. The stamen is shaken and the pollen is released. This phenomenon is known as "buzz pollination."
Originally published by Phys.org Read original →

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