Subject: What are the big shoes on the feet of the bee?
Geographic location of the bug: Mersin,Turkey
Date: 03/31/2019
Time: 02:07 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hello there, I was photographing honey bees in yellow folowers, close to sea. and I was wondering what is on their feet. They look like big shoes.
Thanks for your informations.
How you want your letter signed: Bees
Dear Bees,
Honey Bees are social insects that visit flowers to gather nectar which the bees store in the hive after converting the nectar to honey. According to BugGuide, Honey Bees feed on: “Nectar and pollen from flowers. Pollen is most important in feeding the larvae.” While visiting blossoms, Honey Bees ingest nectar which is regurgitated upon return to the hive, and pollen is collected on pollen sacs on the hind legs. The “big shoes” you describe are pollen sacs laden with pollen. Here is an image from BugGuide of a Honey Bee laden with pollen.