Question

How does the bee know which flower has nectar?

Answer 1

Hint: As we know bees are basically insects with wings that are closely related to wasps and ants and are known for their role in pollination and also for producing honey. Bees feed on nectar and pollen, which are the former primarily as an energy source and the latter primarily for protein and other nutrients. Most pollen is being used as food for their larvae.

Complete answer:
In the process of coevolution, flowers developed floral rewards such as the nectar and longer tubes, and bees developed longer tongues so they can extract the nectar. Bees also developed structures which are known as scopal hairs and pollen baskets to collect and carry the pollen. a bee then uses nectar quality and pollen taste to determine whether to continue visiting these similar flowers.

Bees can sense the electrical charge of flowers that have nectar. If the flower’s nectar has already been harvested by another bee its positive electrical charge increases and the bee will come to know that this flower has no nectar. The nectar that flowers produce is a sweet energy source for bees. Honeybees can detect nectar in a flower by the reflection of ultraviolet light, or by the tone the flower is emitting as it tries to attract the pollinators. This is how the bees come to know which flower has nectar.

Note: The mouthparts of the bees are adapted for both chewing and sucking by having both a pair of mandibles and a long proboscis for sucking up nectar. Solitary bees lay each egg in a separate cell with a supply of mixed pollen and nectar next to it. Pollinating bees consume nectar and pollen, which require different digestion strategies by specialized bacteria. While nectar is a liquid of mostly monosaccharide sugars and so easily absorbed, pollen comprises complex polysaccharides.