Penncap-M and Bees Honey bees are important players in production agriculture because of their role in pollinating crops. Some plants are self-fertile and do not require an external agent such as wind or insects to perform this process. Other plants may be self-infertile, thus requiring active transfer of pollen from one flower to another. When environmental conditions are favorable, pollen, transferred to the stigma, germinates and sends a pollen tube bearing the tube nucleus and sperm nuclei down through the style into the ovary and finally to the ovule.
Fertilization occurs when the sperm nuclei fuses with the female egg nucleus.
This fusion results in a fertilized egg and leads the development of a viable seed. Given the importance of bees in agricultural, they must be protected from accidental poisoning from pesticides. Most bee poisoning occurs when the bees are foraging flowers to collect pollen and nectar. Foraging bees can be hit directly by a spray or pick it up as a residue on the plant surface or in contaminated water. In some cases, the insecticide is fast-acting and results in the death of the bee before it can return to the hive.