Also, even when pollen from the same plant lands on the pistil of that plant, it may not germinate into a pollen tube. Besides timing of the ripening of the flower parts, the stamens and pistils may be separated spatially, with one longer or shorter than the other. The benefits to the pollinators in this story is they are provided with protein rich pollen and sweet, sugary nectar. Honeybees work very hard and may live only a few weeks. Many overwinter in the hive though.
Solitary bees form a colony during the season but only the queen overwinters.
The rest die in the fall. Butterflies live entirely on a flower diet, drinking the nectar provided to them. Flies are often pollinators of simple, bowl or cluster blossoms. Ants are considered the scoundrels of the floral drama. They love pollen and nectar, but are not good pollinators.