Bee Fact – Number 4

Not all bees are born equal – we might love honeybees for their honey but their pollination performance is somewhat lacking when compared, for example, to the solitary mason bee. This furry little creature achieves around a 95% pollination rate when out foraging for food, comprehensively trumping the honeybee, which turns in just 5%. The secret of mason bees’ success lies in the way they collect pollen, storing it on their abdomen in a ‘pollen brush’ which then rubs against crops and flowers. Mason bees with full pollen brushes are easy to spot thanks to their brightly coloured underside.

For more information about the Bee Fayre, Wallbarn’s connection to it and how you can support the UK bee population, please visit the following link – https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1461674967932367