When it’s time to pick a place for dinner, do you have a go-to spot? Pollinators aren’t so different.
When a honeybee sets out from the hive for a snack, will it settle for any run-of-the-mill chrysanthemum? Not a chance. It’s making a beeline for the nearest vibrant patch of sunflowers.
So, let’s dive into the preferences of bees, beetles and other pollinators. Whether you’re planting a pollinator-friendly garden or just curious about these fascinating creatures, read on.
Meet the Pollinators
What exactly is a pollinator? It’s an animal that helps plants reproduce by moving pollen from flower to flower. These animals visit flowers in search of mates, nesting materials and food. Flowers offer nectar (rich in sugars) and pollen (packed with proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals): everything a pollinator needs for energy, growth, flight and reproduction.
The three major categories of pollinators are:
- Birds
- Bats
- Insects
Birds and bats do have preferences. These unsung heroes of pollination prefer larger flowering plants. Birds help with not only pollinating but also spreading seeds. Bats, being nocturnal creatures, tend to pollinate nighttime flowering plants like mangoes and bananas.
Insect Pollinators
Insects are by far the most common and effective pollinators. We love all pollinators, but as home to one of the world’s largest entomology departments, we can’t help but play favorites.
Bees
Honeybees alone pollinate 80% of all flowering plants, including over 130 types of fruits and vegetables. Thankfully, they’re not too picky about where they feed on nectar and pollen.
Some native bee species are specialists, meaning they prefer specific plants they’ve co-evolved with over time. For example, the Gulf Coast evening bee only gathers pollen and nectar from the plant species Balduina angustifolia. Other bee species, like the bumblebee, are generalists, collecting nectar and pollen from native and non-native flowers alike.
Whether they’re picky or not, bees are on the lookout for:
- Nectar-rich flowers. Bees love regional wildflowers.
- Blue or yellow petals. (Bees can’t see red.)
- Sweet or minty scents. Bee balm is a great example.
- Flowers that open during the day.
- Symmetrical flowers, such as sunflowers and roses.
- Landing space.
Beetles
Beetles have been around for millions of years, pollinating plants before dinosaurs walked the Earth. They prefer magnolias, water lilies and anise: modern-day descendants of the ancient flowering plants these insects evolved with.
Butterflies
Not only do butterflies pollinate, but they also migrate incredible distances. Monarchs, for instance, travel 2,500 miles between Eastern North America and the Sierra Madre in Mexico every year. When resting their orange and black wings, they prefer to land on broad, flat-faced flowers like milkweeds.
Moths
Mostly nocturnal, moths prefer pale or white flowers that open in the late afternoon or evening. Many moths have long tongues, allowing them to reach nectar in flowers like morning glory, tobacco, yucca and gardenia that other pollinators can’t access.
Wasps
Wasps, hornets and yellowjackets lack the hairy legs and abdomens that help bees carry large amounts of pollen. Still, they contribute enough to earn an honorable mention. The fig wasp, for instance, pollinates nearly 1,000 species of figs.
Ants
Ants love nectar and typically go for small, low-growing flowers. But that doesn’t make them great pollinators. Wingless worker ants are unlikely to cross-pollinate, having to crawl into flowers to reach nectar. Some ant species actually secrete a natural substance that acts as an antibiotic, killing pollen grains.
Flies
Although flies can’t carry pollen as effectively as bees, some like the hoverfly or March fly are pretty good pollinators. Flies prefer flowers that are dull to dark brown or purple, including those that other insects might find unpleasant, like the striking red trillium, which smells of rotten flesh.
We Need All Our Pollinators
All pollinators have a role to play, from the fat and fuzzy bumblebee to the large and vibrant monarch butterfly. Together, they pollinate about 80% of flowering plants and over 75% of the staple crop plants. Without pollinators, fruits, vegetables and nuts would become rare luxuries. Yet despite their importance, pollinators face constant threats from pests, pesticides, habitat loss, disease and climate change.
Each of us can help protect pollinators. Planting a garden with pollinator-friendly flowers is a great start. But if you’re ready to take your passion even further, why not turn it into a career?
Study Entomology at UF
The University of Florida, home to one of the world’s largest entomology departments, offers a variety of online graduate programs perfect for anyone ready to dive into the world of insects. Attend UF online and you can earn a master’s degree or graduate certificate in:
- Beekeeping
- Medical Entomology
- Landscape Pest Management
- Urban Pest Management
Want to take a bigger role in protecting pollinators? Explore our online entomology programs. When you’re ready, apply to become a Gator. Together, we can make a difference for pollinators and the world they help sustain.
Sources:
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/2022/09/14/pollinators-its-not-all-about-the-bees/
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/design/gardening-with-wildlife/gardening-for-bees/
https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn-and-garden/pollination
That honey you enjoy is sweet and tasty, but do you know what’s in it? There’s plenty of sugar, of course. Also vitamins, minerals and protein in varying amounts. But some of the other genetic materials found in honey may surprise you.
Here we’ll examine the field of honey metagenomics — the study of genetic material found in honey — and see what it reveals about the honey bees that help produce it.
Honey Metagenomics Revealed
Ahh, honey: a natural food source with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial and other health benefits. Honey bees have no idea about these properties, however. They just want a handy food source for the winter, when nectar is scarce. Perhaps they know, as we do, that honey has no expiration date.
There’s a universe of genetic material in this seemingly simple, sticky syrup. Experts in the honey metagenomics field act as “diet detectives” that focus exclusively on one type of eater. Here’s what their work uncovers:
What Honey Bees Eat
With nectar as one of its primary raw materials, honey is fundamentally made of plants transformed and enhanced by bees. Honey bees’ taste in flowers and other plants is broad and includes many we use to decorate our homes (sunflowers — a honey bee favorite), make tea (bergamot), enhance a dish (rosemary), stave off colds (echinacea) and more.
Honey metagenomics can help us determine what the honey bees that produced a particular batch of honey usually ate. Using DNA analysis, researchers can pinpoint specific plant types. Such tests are primarily used on wild bees, as beekeepers know what their bees eat, and when harvesting commercially, so producers can label product packaging accurately (e.g., “orange blossom honey”).
Where Honey Bees Call Home
Just as honey metagenomics can help determine the plant sources of honey, it can also identify its geographic origins. In commercial honey production, this is important, since some locations are considered to produce the finest honey for its flavor, purity or health properties.
How Healthy Honey Bees Are
By monitoring the honey output of a hive, metagenomics researchers can discover problematic microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that may be present in the bee population. Some types of microorganisms cause diseases like Nosema, potentially compromising the health of the bees and contributing to phenomena such as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), in which worker bees abandon their colony and queen, often killing the entire hive.
How Healthy the Environment Is
Analysis of honey also enables researchers to assess the environmental health of a specified area. It can identify and measure the levels of environmental pollutants and other contaminants that may be present.
How Healthy Honey Is for Humans
We previously outlined some health benefits of honey, but it also poses some risks to humans, as honey metagenomics has shown. Honey is not recommended for consumption by anyone under 12 months of age, as it may contain the bacteria that causes botulism.
If honey bees consume nectar from poisonous plants and a person eats raw honey containing the toxin, they can suffer ill effects. Further, as bees ingest pollen with nectar, honey can trigger allergic reactions in some individuals.
Explore the Insect Kingdom and New Career Options With UF Online
Insects are fascinating, often frustrating creatures that nonetheless serve important functions in the natural world. Advanced knowledge of insects is not only enlightening, it can also help you excel in your current entomology career or enable you to enter the field in a variety of professional roles.
Acknowledged for having the number-one-ranked entomology and nematology program in the world by the Center for World University Rankings, the University of Florida offers online graduate programs that provide that crucial knowledge:
Online Master’s Degree in Entomology and Nematology
Choose our general master’s degree program or focus on an area of professional or personal interest by pursuing one of four graduate certificate specializations and earn two graduate credentials in the same amount of time. If honey bees are your passion, we recommend the Beekeeping specialization, featuring multiple courses devoted to our furry flying friends!
Online Entomology and Nematology Graduate Certificates
If you prefer not to pursue a master’s degree program at this time, you can complete a 15-credit graduate certificate in any of the same specializations, including our Graduate Certificate in Beekeeping.
These programs do not require GRE scores, a thesis or campus attendance!
Learn more about our programs or apply now.
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6209200/
https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.01182-23
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1099522/full
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-honey/art-20363819
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-84174-0
For some, beekeeping is a unique pastime. For others, it’s a career they’ve spent years building up from a blossoming hobby to a thriving enterprise. Whether you’re passionate about tending the hives in your backyard or building a profession in apiculture, beekeeping plays a crucial role in supporting agricultural and environmental sustainability.
As you explore ways to deepen your knowledge, you might come across different educational pathways, such as graduate programs and extension programs. But what sets these two options apart — and which one aligns best with your goals?
Let’s break it down, so you can make an informed decision about which program is right for you.
Key Features of a Beekeeping Graduate Program
A beekeeping graduate program results in a graduate credential, such as a graduate certificate or a master’s degree. The UF Entomology and Nematology department offers both options for those interested in pursuing a career in apiculture: an online Master of Science in Entomology and Nematology (which can be earned in tandem with our specialized Graduate Certificate in Beekeeping) or a standalone online Graduate Certificate in Beekeeping.
But what can you expect from a graduate-level beekeeping program? While we can’t speak for every school, here’s what you can expect from our online beekeeping programs:
- Advanced coursework
Our specialization in beekeeping includes advanced courses that provide fundamental knowledge in the field, such as Apiculture I and II and Honey Bee Biology. We also value the importance of choosing courses that match your personal interests and career goals. That’s why we offer a range of elective courses to help you tailor your curriculum to your needs.
- Career preparation
Graduate-level beekeeping programs are designed for individuals looking to pursue careers in roles like beekeeper, apiary manager or researcher. Our online programs are crafted for working professionals, whether you’re already in the field of entomology or transitioning into a new career. With fully online courses, you can continue working while completing your studies, maintaining a healthy work-life balance as you work toward your ideal career.
- Time commitment
These graduate programs typically take two to five years to complete. At UF, you can earn the online Graduate Certificate in Beekeeping in as little as one year, while the master’s degree can be completed in two years (or at your own pace).
Beekeeper Extension Program: What to Expect
Unlike a formal graduate degree, beekeeper extension programs are non-degree educational paths offered by universities or professional beekeeping associations. They’re ideal for individuals who want to learn more about the beekeeping industry and how to start and manage their own hives.
Here’s what you can typically expect from a beekeeper extension program:
- Introductory knowledge
If you’re new to beekeeping or have some basic knowledge but want structured learning, extension courses provide an excellent starting point. You’ll cover the essentials, such as hive management, queen rearing and pest control. These programs help you gain the confidence and foundational knowledge needed to decide whether you’re ready to manage your first hive.
- Time commitment
Extension courses are often shorter and more flexible than graduate-level programs. Courses can range from a few days to several months, and you have the freedom to choose how many you take. Some participants focus on areas where they lack experience, while others enroll in all available courses to build a comprehensive understanding of apiculture.
Graduate Program vs. Extension Program: Which One Is Right For Me?
When it comes to choosing which beekeeping program option is right for you, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Consider the following factors to help you choose a program that aligns with your needs:
- Target audience
Graduate programs in beekeeping are designed for individuals pursuing advanced degrees, research careers or professional roles in apiculture. In contrast, extension programs cater more to hobbyists (or aspiring hobbyists) looking to expand their skills.
- Curriculum focus
Graduate programs are research-based and follow a structured credit-hour format, while extension programs are typically more introductory, focusing on practical, hands-on learning.
- Duration and commitment
Both programs offer flexibility, but graduate programs tend to require a longer commitment, with the added benefit of earning a formal credential upon completion. Extension programs are shorter, allowing participants to select courses based on their interests and schedules.
The University of Florida: Where Your Beekeeping Journey Begins
Choosing between graduate programs and extension programs ultimately depends on your long-term goals. If you’re just beginning to explore beekeeping, an extension program is a great way to dive in, learn the fundamentals and start your journey as an apiculturist. Who knows? That initial spark could grow into a passion for beekeeping, guiding you toward a graduate program and a fulfilling career in the field.
Ready to take your beekeeping hobby or career to the next level? The University of Florida is here to support your goals. With fully online graduate programs in entomology — beekeeping included — you can earn a graduate credential in beekeeping in as little as a year.
We also offer:
- Year-round start dates.
- Diverse elective courses.
- No GRE requirements.
- Affordable tuition.
- An education from the world’s No. 1 entomology and nematology program.
Explore our graduate-level programs to find the path that’s right for you.
Ever wonder how that golden honey makes the journey from hive to jar as you drizzle it over your favorite sweet treats? Beekeepers play an essential role in not only ensuring the health of the hive (and all its buzzing inhabitants) but also the removal of honey once it’s ready for extraction.
But what do beekeepers do all day? Are they permanently stationed alongside the hive, clad in their beekeeping suit, dipping their gloved hands into the bee boxes in search of honey?
While you won’t find beekeepers elbow-deep in hives, you can find them geared up in their bee suits, attentively nurturing their 60,000 to 80,000 little friends, especially in the wee hours of the morning.
Join us as we explore a day in the life of a beekeeper.
How Beekeepers Begin Their Journey
Many full-time beekeepers begin their journeys as enthusiastic hobbyists. They often read insightful books to gain a better understanding of the practice and enroll in beekeeping courses to familiarize themselves with the fundamentals.
Once they feel equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills, aspiring beekeepers sometimes seek out experienced mentors who are willing to guide them through hands-on learning experiences. This allows them to ask questions and learn at their own pace until they’re comfortable moving to the next phase of beekeeping: managing their own hive.
The Morning Routine: Inspection and Maintenance
For both hobbyists and professional beekeepers, when it’s time to inspect the hives, the day begins early. And we mean early—sometimes before sunrise. Beekeepers start their days at the crack of dawn because as the temperatures rise, the bees become more active, making them more agitated and defensive.
But before heading into the apiary, beekeepers don their protective clothing, including a veil, gloves and a bee suit, to avoid any potential stings. Then, smoker in hand, they light a slow-burning fuel in the chamber, creating a consistent flow of white smoke from its nozzle.
Before opening the hive, they’ll aim the smoke toward the entrance to the hive, effectively tricking the bees into thinking their hive is on fire. To outsiders, it may seem like a cruel practice, but the smoke is cool and nonintrusive, and it’s an effective way to distract the bees while the beekeepers inspect their hives, looking for the following:
- Signs of diseases or pests.
- Sufficient honey and pollen stores
- Signs of a healthy hive, like the presence of a queen, larvae and eggs, especially during the brood-rearing season (around spring and early summer).
Hive inspections typically occur once every two weeks during the active season. In addition to checking for the above criteria inside the hive, beekeepers also take time to sanitize and maintain their hive tools and check the integrity of their spare hive boxes and frames. If necessary, they’ll swap out old frames for new ones or perform hive splits to manage a growing population.
Honey Harvesting
The timing of harvesting varies depending on a beekeeper’s location but generally occurs around mid-to-late summer. If this is a beekeeper’s first year with their hive, beekeepers typically refrain from harvesting the honey their bees produce, as the collective hive often relies on this supply to survive through the winter.
After that first year, however, beekeepers can comfortably begin harvesting their hive’s honey, which can amount to a whopping 25 to 100 pounds, depending on factors such as the hive’s strength and the floral sources the bees were using to forage.
To harvest the honey, beekeepers begin by removing the bees from the frames of honey supers (a section of the beehive that stores honey) using a clearer board. Then, they’ll uncap the sealed honey cells with a serrated knife. From there, they put the uncapped frames inside a honey extractor (a clever cyclical contraption that spins the frames, flinging honey onto the side of the extractor). From there, the honey pools at the bottom, where the beekeepers can collect it in its rawest, most delectable form.
Turn Your Beekeeping Hobby Into a Career
Whether you’re just digging into the early stages of beekeeping fundamentals or you’re a seasoned apiary interested in learning more advanced skills, the University of Florida offers two unique online graduate programs that will help you gain the knowledge needed to begin or advance your career in the world of beekeeping:
Graduate Certificate in Beekeeping
This flexible 15-credit online program lets you choose from a wide range of elective courses depending on your interests and career path, including Graduate Survey of Entomology, Insect Toxicology, and Ecology and Conservation of Pollinators. You can complete the online coursework in as little as three semesters from almost anywhere with an internet connection.
Master’s Degree in Entomology and Nematology, Specializing in Beekeeping
This 30-credit online program provides a broad education on entomology topics while allowing you to focus on your area of interest: beekeeping. In addition, after you finish the program, you’ll graduate with not one, but two credentials: a master’s degree in entomology and nematology and a graduate certificate in beekeeping.
At UF, we offer year-round start dates, affordable tuition costs and asynchronous classes that make learning on your busy schedule a cinch. Take the first step toward turning your hobby into a career. Apply today!
Sources:
https://www.science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/honeybee-hive
https://newsroom.co.nz/2021/12/13/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-beekeeper/
https://bee-health.extension.org/seasonality-of-brood-and-adult-populations-basic-bee-biology-for-beekeepers/
https://www.miller-mfg.com/blog/when-to-harvest-honey/
https://www.beeandbloom.com/blog/fabqs-how-much-honey
Bees have a close connection with pollination, and their appetite for nectar and pollen has a huge impact on our survival on this planet. When they fly from one flowering plant to another, bees transfer pollen between the plants, helping those plants fulfill their natural cycle of reproduction. This process is critical to us because flowering plants help produce the oxygen we breathe, clean the water we drink and provide us with edible fruit. In fact, federal agencies report that bee pollination helps produce one quarter of the food eaten by the U.S. population.
But these busy bees are not alone in their vital contributions to our existence. Did you know that all manner of bugs, as well as bats and birds, also pollinate? Any entomologist will also tell you that not all pollinators know how to fly. Let’s give some of our planet’s unsung heroes of pollination the long-overdue credit they deserve.
Meet Some Often-Overlooked Pollinators
Moths
When not distracted by manmade light sources, moths are drawn to flowers and other sources of nectar for their diet.
Butterflies
A close relative of moths, butterflies enjoy a similar diet, though butterflies prefer to eat when the sun is out.
Birds
By some estimates, our planet is home to 2,000 species of pollinating birds, including parrots, honeycreepers, orioles, sunbirds and insect-like hummingbirds.
Lizards
Lizards and similar reptiles love to eat insects and then wash their dinner down with nectar from a range of flowering plants.
Bats
If you enjoy eating mango or perhaps sipping a nice, chilled margarita, you have bats to thank — at least, in part. Bats pollinate a variety of fruits, including bananas and mango, as well as plants like agave, from which the tequila in a margarita is derived.
Mosquitoes
Bats also enjoy eating mosquitoes: a dietary preference for which all humans in short sleeves or short pants are grateful. Only female mosquitoes consume blood, but both male and female mosquitoes drink nectar prior to mating. Mosquitoes have been observed pollinating orchids.
Flies
They may have a bad reputation due to their attraction to animal waste, but flies also enjoy flower nectar. The hover fly subspecies pollinates many of our most popular fruits, including berries, apples and peaches.
Lemurs
Believed to be the largest pollinator on earth, lemurs bury their noses inside flowers in search of tasty nectar, often extracting pollen and seeds in the process.
Possums
Unlike its insect-eating American cousin the opossum, Australia’s mouse-like honey possum prefers a diet of nectar and pollen from select flowers.
Slugs
They may take their time doing it, but slugs provide pollination benefits to our planet, dining on some forms of nectar among a broader plant-based diet.
Master Entomology Online With Guidance From the Experts
The University of Florida is the proud home to the world’s number-one-ranked entomology program. Our online master’s degrees and graduate certificates can help propel you to success within an entomology-related career in government, postsecondary education, private research firms or other fields. All courses are led by faculty composed of some of today’s foremost entomology researchers.
Throughout your program, you’ll become intimately familiar with a multitude of insects and other arthropods, exploring crucial topics such as helping beneficial species thrive while minimizing the impact of harmful species. Engaging online technology will bring the curriculum to life and connect you with faculty and classmates along the way. All classes and labs are conducted entirely online, enabling you to pursue career-enhancing entomology credentials from practically anywhere in the world. No campus visits are required.
Here’s a closer look at our program options and benefits:
Online Master of Science (Non-Thesis)
- Choose from four specializations:
- 30 credits
- Typical duration 2-4 years
- Students accepted year-round
- No GRE required
- Choose from four specializations:
- 15 credits
- Typical duration 12-18 months
- Students accepted year-round
- No GRE required
See what a master’s degree or graduate certificate from the number-one-ranked entomology program in the world can do for you! Review our programs or apply now.
Sources:
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/thats-not-a-bee-unusual-pollinator-species/
https://www.thoughtco.com/insect-pollinators-that-arent-bees-or-butterflies-1967996
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/animals/unusual.shtml
https://www.usda.gov/pollinators
