Mochi IsleWhy do bees fly from flower to flower?
In short: Bees visit flowers to collect nectar and pollen for food. As they clamber around, pollen sticks to their fuzzy hairs, and at the next flower of the same kind some rubs off. This pollinates the flower so it can make fruit and seeds.
How it works
Sweet nectar is the flower's reward for the bee. Honeybees carry it back to the hive and turn it into honey, and they take pollen home to feed young bees.
For a flower to make seeds, pollen has to travel from the stamens to the pistil, often of another flower of the same kind. This is pollination. Flowers cannot walk, so bees, butterflies, birds and the wind help.
Many fruits we eat, such as apples, avocados and kiwifruit, depend on bees and other insects to pollinate their flowers.
Where to see it in New Zealand
In flowering season, New Zealand orchards bring in hives of honeybees to pollinate kiwifruit, apples and avocados. New Zealand also has its own native bees; most are small and solitary rather than living in big hives.
Try it together
Find a garden with flowers and stand quietly nearby with an adult. How long does a bee stay on one flower? Does it keep visiting the same kind of flower? Do not swat at bees, and anyone allergic to stings should keep well away.
Kids also ask
Why do bees like certain flower colours?
Bees can see ultraviolet light, and many flowers have ultraviolet patterns we cannot see that point like arrows to the nectar. Bees do not see red well but easily spot blue, purple and yellow.
What should you do if a bee stings you?
Move away from the bees. Ask an adult to scrape the sting out sideways with a fingernail or card (don't squeeze it), then hold something cold on the spot. If someone has trouble breathing, their lips, face or tongue swell, or they feel faint, call 111 straight away.
In the game, “Bees and flowers” is a nature card from the Living things set, and it can turn up on any island.
Your child finds this card by reaching the right place or meeting the right weather on the island, and lights it up by answering the question on the back. Tap the button below and the game shows your child which island it is on and how to find it. Mochi Isle is a browser learning game for ages 5 to 18; the main island and the daily lesson are free.
Find “Bees and flowers” on the island ↗ All cards in the Living things set