Not All Flowers Are Friendly: Honeybee vs. Milkweed [Must-See Video]

Watch our honeybee struggle to free herself from a milkweed flower—a fascinating look at a unique pollination dilemma.

A Sticky Situation: Honeybee Tangled in Milkweed

In this video, we get a close look at one of nature’s complex partnerships: a honeybee collects milkweed nectar but finds herself in a sticky situation. What’s happening here? Let’s take a closer look!

Milkweed: Nature’s Clever Pollinator Trap

Milkweed uses ‘pollinia’—small sacs of sticky pollen attached to slits within the flower. When bees visit for nectar, their legs slip into these slits, and pollinia hook on, ensuring pollen gets transferred to the next flower. It’s a marvel of evolution—though not without risks for the bee!

Did You Know? Honeybees Aren’t Native to the U.S.

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) were introduced to North America by European settlers in the 1600s. Before that, the continent’s native pollinators—like bumblebees, sweat bees, butterflies, and moths—handled local pollination for plants like milkweed. Because honeybees didn’t co-evolve with milkweed, they’re not always a perfect match. This sometimes makes them more prone to getting stuck in milkweed’s pollinia traps—an important reminder of the delicate balance between native plants and introduced species.

Next time you see a bee on a milkweed blossom, pause to appreciate the amazing, sometimes perilous relationship between flower and pollinator. With a little awareness, we can help all pollinators—both native and introduced—thrive in our gardens!

Have you spotted bees wrestling with milkweed? Have you noticed the pollinia attached to their legs? Share your experiences below!

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