Bumblebees bite plants to make them flower early, surprising scientists

[FfFfFfFF 58,113]

A new study reveals that bumblebees force plants to flower by making tiny incisions in their leaves—a discovery that has stunned bee scientists.

“Wow! was my first reaction,” says Neal Williams, a bee biologist at the University of California, Davis. “Then I wondered, how did we miss this? How could no one have seen it before?”

Suspecting the bees were inducing the plants to flower, the team set up a series of experiments. The results show that when pollen sources are scarce, such as in a greenhouse or during early spring, bumblebees can force plants to bloom up to a month earlier than usual.

The research is promising for two reasons. For one, it strongly suggests bumblebees manipulate flowers, a particularly useful skill as warming temperatures worldwide are causing the pollinators to emerge before plants have bloomed. It’s also a potential boost for the human food supply: If agriculturalists can coax their crops to flower early, it could increase food production of some plants.

“It’s a very sophisticated type of communication,” adds Santiago Ramirez, a chemical ecologist at the University of California, Davis, who wasn’t involved in the study. “It seems bees have cracked the code that causes plants to flower.”

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/05/bumblebees-bite-plants-flower-early/

[Guest]

So cute.

[Head Empty 26,967]

Mmm mmm bumble bee

[Eido 3,681]

And as always we are trying to use something totally natural to increase our productivity  What. A. Surprise.

[FaeMonster 105]

Thats adorable 

[raragaga 8,119]

omg i love them

[Lord Temptation 11,209]

Mmmmm...Ice cream with honey.....

[ice bear 1]

is there anything about bees that isn't just the cutest thing ever?

sting me to death you little fairies 

[Quasi 11,031]

They're so fuzzy .

[Economy 52,844]

1 hour ago, ice bear said:

is there anything about bees that isn't just the cutest thing ever?

sting me to death you little fairies 

They still scare me

[Franch Toast 27,737]

19 hours ago, Economy said:

They still scare me

Same, but I'll take them over wasps and hornets. 

[Miel 15,009]

Yes kings, stimulate large scale flora growth and save our planet yes!

I can't believe bumblebees are going to discover more about flower physiology than us humans at the moment! I stan!

[Economy 52,844]

58 minutes ago, Franch Toast said:

Same, but I'll take them over wasps and hornets. 

I been stung by a wasp it's one of my earliest memories. I also remember crying like no tomorrow