The Bumblebee And Her Flowers
Ms. Bumblebee, the former Ms. Humblebee (“The honie-bags steale from the humble Bees,” A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Willie the Shake, c. 1596) laps nectar from an aster. The relationship between bumblebees and flowers is complicated, as we say. Bumblebees do not have ears, but they’re sensitive to the vibrations made by sound travelling through wood or other materials. Flowers do not have ears, but many flower petals are sensitive to vibrations made by sound travelling through the air. Stop. What? There is a plant behavior called Bee Pollination Syndrome. Wait. What? A plant behavior? It appears that some bees and some flowers have evolved to benefit each other. Some flowers can only be pollinated by bees, moths, etc. that are in the area when the flower needs pollinating. And some pollinators have evolved to include in their hunt for nectar and pollen the times when those flowers are ready. Nectar, pollen, or both are offered as rewards to the pollinators in varying amounts. The sugar in the nectar tends to be sucrose-dominated. OK, but what about the vibrations? It happens that the surfaces of some flower petals can detect changes in air pressure (buzz, buzz said the bumblebee). (And now you should look up resonance frequency.) At that moment, the flower petals send a signal via the phloem to the ovary saying Hey Jill! Incoming bee, send up more sucrose right now! And making it so, the flower ovary sends up more sucrose and the bumble bee is happy, and gets pollen all over her face. If I’m lyin’ I’m dyin.’
