Bees and pollen baskets

This is another amazing facet of nature. Pollination - the critical intersection between the animal world and the plant world, the moment when life regenerates itself  - is something that happens as a by product of bees collecting pollen!

The back legs of bees have small indentations called pollen baskets. The bee uses its front legs to brush and comb the pollen to make it compact and fit into the basket, till it reaches the hive. Once here, it will remove the pollen from the baskets and store it in the honeycomb. Pollen, mixed with nectar/honey is stored for baby bees to feed on till they become pupae!

Here are two bees, one from Allahabad and the other from Bangalore with filled pollen baskets!