I watched this flying miracle meticulously going in and out of each tiny flower seeming to never tire. So much work I thought for such little return. Fortunately they don't think like humans or they would be extinct! :)
The bumblebee is able to penetrate to the deepest depths of the flower beyond the reach of most other insects. It's estimated that a bumblebee can fly for 40 minutes with a full honeystomach. Flying takes a lot of energy as the wings beat about 200 times a second; the metabolic rate of the bumblebee is almost twice that of the hummingbird.
Nectar gathering is a mammoth task since most flowers usually contain about a thousandth of a milliliter of nectar. It therefore takes about 100 flowers to fill the honeystomach, and, since the nectar is likely to have been already extracted from some flowers by other pollinators, it may take twice that many.
Oh to have the patience of a Bumble Bee! Go outside! Nature is calling you!! <3 Sophia
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