The Difference Between Nectar and Pollen
Here at Necta & Hive, we love honey. But we also love bees, so we thought we’d place our hardworking friends front and centre for a few weeks. Here’s the first in our Bee Mini Series…
Bees make honey in a hive, and they do that by foraging on nearby plants and flowers. But what do they forage for? Nectar, or pollen? Or both?
Nectar and pollen are often confused and sometimes thought of as the same thing. But they’re actually very different! So, here’s our simple explanation of the difference between nectar and pollen and why bees need them both to thrive.
What is Nectar?
Nectar is a sweet, sugar-rich liquid found in small pockets called nectaries tucked deep inside the base of a flower. Bees find nectar irresistible, and this carbohydrate-rich liquid provides bees with the energy they need to sustain all these flights backwards and forwards between their hive and the nearby flowers.
What is Pollen?
Pollen is the yellow or orange powdery substance present on the male flower parts called stamens. (If you’ve ever had lilies in the house and found bright orange powder on the floor around them, that’s pollen.)
Flowering plants reproduce by transferring this pollen to the female flower parts called stigmas, and they rely on the wind or pollinating insects to do this. Pollinating insects, such as bees, have pollen baskets on their back legs, which are perfect for capturing pollen and then transferring it to other flowers as they visit, hoping for more nectar.
Pollen is protein-rich, and bees use this powerful protein source to feed their young and their queen, who uses it to produce more young.
Necta and Pollen – a Symbiotic Relationship
