# How do bees carry pollen?



## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

On the front legs of the bee, there are a series of hairs that are comb like in structure. She will clean herself up on her frontside and thorax, pass the pollen to the middle legs, were she will pass it to her hind legs. There she will proceed to pack it into the pollen basket. Inside the pollen basket is a modified hair that has evolved into something that looks like a spike. This spike sticks out upward at an angle.The bee adds nectar to the pollen that she is placing into the basket to help hold it into place. She more or less is "skewering' the pollen into place in her pollen baskets like we would a piece of pork on a barbacue spit. This has been one of my favorite things about beekeeping over my career--watching the bees harvest and tote pollen back to the entrance of the hive. TK


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

Ted explained it very well... just figured you may want some pics and diagrams to go along with the answer... one of my favorite topics as well!! But we may have to start some biology threads in one of the other forums to help the "Treatment Free" forum stay on focus. PS.. Glad to see the name change... will be sending "treatment free" discussion here from now on!





































Hope this helps!


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## Daddy'sBees (Jul 1, 2010)

Ted, great description! Robert, great picas and drawings! Yeehaw, I love this stuff!


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

Russell, I love the pictures, too!! I have only seen this under a microscope and not it this detail, Thanks. TED


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Off topic I know, but honeybees do it so quick it's hard for the eye to follow.

But watch a bumblebee though. Still quick but just slow enough for the eye to follow. Soon as it leaves the flower watch closely and be ready for fast action. You'll see a quick flick around with it's legs and all the pollen over it's body is collected into it's pollen baskets. It's done in a split second as it's moving to the next flower, but they do it between each flower.


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## RiodeLobo (Oct 11, 2010)

Thank you all for the responses. I understood the principle but not the details and mechanics involved. Your great informative responses were exactly what i was wanting to know.


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