What’s that Sound?

Ever walked by a tree or bush and heard a roar like a freight train? No? Then you are in for a treat! Head to a large oak or holly tree in bloom this time of year, and you will hear – and probably see – thousands of honeybees and other pollinators gathering nectar and/or pollen from the blossoms. Their collective buzz really can be quite unnerving, until you recognize that this as a work of God in your garden. Here is a photo of a blooming American holly in our landscape. How many honeybees and other pollinators can you count?

Spring is the time when honeybee colonies have an insatiable need for nectar. They use the nectar to produce wax and honey in the hive. Nectar is between 5 and 20% sucrose sugar in water with a few micro nutrients thrown in. Table sugar, like you buy at the grocery store, is sucrose sugar. Blossoms excrete the nectar to attract pollinators. The plant wants to be pollinated, and the honeybee requires the nectar that God strategically placed at the very bottom on the bloom so that pollen rubs off onto the fur of the honeybee. The honeybees, via enzymatic action, break the sucrose sugar into glucose and fructose. Bees evaporate the sugar solution until it is about 82% sugar and 18% water. This very low level of water keeps honey from fermenting even when stored for long periods of time.

Honeybees are opportunists; they want to get the most concentrated sugar possible to carry back with them to the colony. Pears produce a low sugar content nectar, so to be successful in attracting pollinators, they need to bloom early, before the competition does. Hollies have a higher sugar content nectar, so hollies can still get the pollination they need even though they later in Spring.

Oaks do not produce much nectar, but their pollen is very high in protein. Honeybees are opportunists again, as they prefer the oak pollen when available to the low protein content pollen of roses or azaleas.

The next time you hear a roaring blooming plant, now you’ll know what the buzz is all about!

P.S. We counted six honeybees and at least 10 other pollinators in this photo!