Insects and birds help flowers reproduce by carrying pollen.
Did you know that bees, and other insects, play an important role in the reproduction of flowering plants? For a flowering plant to reproduce, or make more of itself, its pollen must be transported to another plant of the same kind. That’s where the bee comes in.
Bees are attracted to the bright colors and sugary nectar of flowers. When they land on the flower, they start eating the nectar and pollen. To them, it’s like candy, cookies, or other sugary treats you might enjoy. Some of the pollen sticks to the hairs on their body. But they don’t mind. Instead, they fly away looking for even more to eat.
As they land on new flowers, some of the pollen that had stuck to their body falls off. Sometimes, if the flower is lucky, the pollen will enter the flower and fertilize one of the flower’s egg cells. When this happens, a seed is created.
Seeds then fall to the ground and grow into new plants, and the cycle begins all over again.
Pollination is an important part of the life cycle of many plants. You see, they cannot produce seeds by themselves. Without insects, and even birds, flowering plants would likely die off.
Remember that the next time you see a little bee flying around your yard.
