Pollinators As we go about our daily lives, we seldom stop to observe the miracles of nature that surround and sustain us. We have little understanding of the delicate and intricate activities taking place continuously and sustaining the cycle of life which affects all living things including ourselves. Let us take pollination as one example. It is probably best explained by its absence – for without it, fertilization would not occur, resulting in no seeds, no new plants, and no more flowers. Flowering plants need to get pollen from one flower to another for pollination to occur. Since pollen cannot move on its own, the wind, animals and sometimes water will carry out the job of transportation. Most plants are pollinated by animals, the majority of which are insects. Why do insects bother to do this you might ask? Plants provide nectar and pollen A bee getting nectar and pollinating at as edible rewards to those who visit their flowers. Bees are great pollinators as they visit countless flowers each the same time! day, collecting nectar in their honey stomachs and pollen in their pollen baskets. These are used to feed themselves and their young. The nectar provides energy and the pollen, a source of protein. It is believed that bees evolved from wasps which largely fed on other insects. They may have gotten a taste for pollen and nectar stuck on the bodies of the insects which they consumed. They fed this to their young and there the process of the evolution of the modern bee may have begun. The process of evolution of bee and flower occurred together with the development of very sophisticated floral characteristics geared to ensure that the bee is not only attracted to the flower but once there, its path is directed to guarantee that pollen transfer occurs. These characteristics include: overall flower size, its depth and width, its colour (including patterns called nectar guides which are only visible in ultraviolet light), its scent and the amount and composition of nectar. Truly remarkable! Next time you see a flower, have a closer look. ‌ Gordon Deane
Bee Fact! Bee brains! A honey bee may have a brain not much larger than the full stop at the end of this sentence, but what they lack in size, they make up for in intelligence. They have approximately one million nerve cells and are not only capable of learning but they also teach other bees through dance and scent. ‌ Dr. Jo-Anne Sewlal
What our beekeeper has been up to
A behind the scenes look at the bottling process!