How Do Bees Collect Pollen?

Bumblebee feeding on sempervivum, showing loaded pollen baskets.




How do bees carry pollen and transfer pollen to the nest?

Bees and pollen collection on the hind legs

Some bees transport pollen on their hind legs. First, the pollen collects on the furry bodies of the bees: as bees fly through the air, their bodies become negatively charged with static electricity, such that when the bee lands on a flower, thus knocking the pollen from the delicate anthers, some of the pollen particles stick to the static-charged hair covering the bee's body.

The bee thus becomes covered in pollen, and then uses its legs to wipe the pollen from its body down to stiff hairs on the abdomen or back legs.  These tufts of stiff hair are called scopa, but on the back legs, they are sometimes referred to as pollen baskets or   'corbiculae' (‘corbicula’ if singular).  Once the bee returns to its hive or nest, it deposits the pollen into an appropriate cell.

Hairy footed flower bee on pulmonaria - showing pollen on hind legs

Note that bumblebee workers and queens collect pollen and transfer it to the nests, however, males and cuckoo bumblebee species do not collect pollen, and have no pollen baskets. 

Honey bee workers collect pollen, but queens only leave the colony to mate or establish a new colony (in which case, part of the colony will create a swarm).

Honey bee with full pollen baskets


Pollen collection on the abdomen and in the crop

Megachilids, such as this leaf cutter bee, collects pollen on a pollen brush beneath the abdomen.






Bees can be described as:

This means pollen may be collected from a wide variety of flowers from different plant types, and from a range of flower colours.  Honey bees are a well-known species that is polylectic, and have even been known to collect pollen from typically wind-pollinated plants, such as corn and pine trees.



Learn more by reading why bees need nectar and pollen and where bees store pollen here.

How much pollen do bees collect?



Read more: What do bees eat?

Do bees sleep?
Apparently they do, but how do we know?



Protected by Copyscape DMCA Takedown Notice Checker


Why do bees need nectar and pollen and where do they store it?