Greetings to all in our hive, wherever on this incredible planet you might be. Jazianzza and I are grateful to have you join us in this July newsletter. It seems to have been a whirlwind month, as well as a whirlwind year, and it doesn\u2019t seem to be slowing down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That brings us to our topic of finding balance. Bumblebees again started appearing a few weeks ago, and I always get a kick out of watching them land on a flower, especially if it\u2019s delicate. The whole flower sways back and forth, yet the bee continues to feed, seemingly oblivious. I almost get dizzy just watching it! It\u2019s like being on a ship in a storm, where it rocks so much that passengers often end up throwing up. So, how do bees manage to find their balance and stay steady? That\u2019s the question I spent some time researching because I find it fascinating. Jazi thought it would be wonderful if you all knew another facet of just how amazzzing her family is, so here goes\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It turns out that bees are well-designed to meet the challenges of flowers dancing in the breeze. First, remember how Jazianzza told everyone in Bee-Coming Strong<\/em> about how she has five eyes, compared to our two? The two large ones on the side are called \u201ccompound eyes\u201d and have over 3,000 lenses, which allow them to see ultraviolet light, useful for identifying which flowers are full of nectar. They can use these eyes to get a super-wide view, enabling them to detect motion quickly. Even if the flower is moving, they\u2019re able to keep track of it easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, they flap their wings over 200 times per second, so they not only are able to hover, but can match the movements of a swaying flower without losing their balance!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, the tiny hair sensors on their legs and feet can give them information about the movement below their feet. This allows them to adjust to the flower\u2019s rocking motion automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And you know that crooked antenna that Jazi has? When both antennas are well-functioning, bees use them to orient themselves and maintain balance, something akin to our inner ear\u2019s function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lastly, their brains can quickly use visual patterns to recognize a flower\u2019s shape, color, and texture to line itself up, even on a windy day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s a short video of a bumblebee maintaining its balance. This will give you an idea of why I\u2019m so taken by their ability to stay steady. There was another video I found, but I became too dizzy watching it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n