Jun 22, 2017
Turn on the volume! That low pitch buzz you hear is the bee employing a technique called sonication, aka buzz pollination. Here it is performed by a black-tailed bumblebee (Bombus melanopygus) on a thimbleberry flower (Rubus parviflorus). Sonication is used by many bee species, but most notably by bumblebees to dislodge pollen from the anthers of various types of flowers. The bee uses its wing muscles to create the buzz, and if you watch closely you'll see the wings moving slightly. In real time the sound is much higher pitch. #bees #pollinatorweek #pollinators #buzzpollination #sonication #bombusmelanopygus #bumblebee #slomo #slowmotiom #insects #thimbleberry
