17 Oct 2010

Bees found to be attracted by certain flowers

2:03 pm on 17 October 2010

Researchers have found that gardeners can attract more bumble bees for pollination by growing red flowers and flowers with stripes.

The observation was recorded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council in Britain, with help from the New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research.

The research showed that red flowers and those with stripes following the veins of the flower were visited more than white or pink flowers.

Professor Cathie Martin from the British centre says stripes provide a visual guide for bees, directing them to the entrance to the flower as a central landing platform.