Penn State researchers  say  bumble bees don’t just land on any pretty flower, they have discriminating palates when it comes to their pollen meals.

 

A university entomologist says scientists thought that bees picked which flower to feed from by color, scent, structure or the concentration of nectar. But when they observed and recorded the bumble bees, they found that the insects preferred plants with high protein to  lipid ratios—in other words, those that provided higher quality nutrition.

 

 “Populations of many bee species are in decline across the world, and poor nutrition is thought to be a major factor causing these declines,” said Christina Grozinger, director of the Center for Pollinator Research, Penn State. 

 

“Our studies can help identify plant species and stocks that provide high-quality nutrition for bumble bees and potentially other bee species, which will help in the development of pollinator-friendly gardens and planting strips,” she continued.