Beekeepers occasionally obtain crops of onion honey with a characteristic onion flavor that disappears after a few weeks. The effect on the insect visitors was not reported. Jula et al. Pollination in the onion flower occurs when pollen is transferred from the dehiscing anthers of one floret to a receptive stigma of another floret. Effective transfer of pollen between florets on an umber or on an individual plant can transpire through the action of an outside agent, but self-pollination within the floret is impossible.
Insects are the primary vectors.
In commercial production of seed, the provision of an adequate number of flies is impractical so the industry depends upon the honey bee as the primary pollinating agent. Bohart et al. Of these, only the honey bee can be manipulated and used in large-scale onion seed production. Honey bees then become less than ideal pollinators of male-sterile onions. In the absence of this perfect type of bee, the grower can only try to compensate by having more honey bees present in the field.