Watch a bee on a flower. It pokes its head in and drinks a sweet juice called nectar. When it flies away, it carries yellow dust on its fuzzy body. That dust is pollen.
Key idea
Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and the wind carry pollen from flower to flower. That helps the flowers make seeds.
Why it works
Most flowers need pollen from another flower of the same kind before they can make seeds. A flower cannot walk over and get it. So animals that come for nectar carry the pollen for it, without even knowing.
Worked example: Let's think it through
A bee drinks from an apple blossom, then flies to another apple blossom. What did it bring?
- The bee came for nectar, its food.
- Pollen from the first blossom stuck to its body.
- Some of that pollen rubs off on the second blossom.
Answer: Pollen, which helps the second blossom make seeds.
Common mistake
Children often think bees visit flowers to help them. Bees come for their own food. Carrying pollen happens along the way, and it helps both of them.
For the grown-up. On a sunny day, sit near a flowering bush and count the visitors for two minutes. Look for pollen on their legs. Watch from a calm distance and let them work.