Insects pollinate a large percentage of food crops grown in the
U.S. and all over the world. Many different species of
pollinators exist, but the insect best equipped for this job is
the honey bee. Honey bees are exceptionally efficient at
collecting and transferring pollen among the flowers of a
particular crop. In a practice known as “flower fidelity” groups
of foraging bees will visit just one type of flower, collecting
and storing pollen in baskets located on their legs. As the bees
fly from flower to flower, pollen particles are transformed
between male and female parts triggering the plant’s
reproduction cycle which results in a fruit or vegetable that
may eventually find its way to a dinner table. A growing concern
for U.S. agricultural producers is the continuing decline of
honey bee populations. According to the National Agricultural
Statistics Service, the number of colonies in Kentucky has
dropped dramatically over the last century from 152,900 in 1909
to just 5,000 in 2009.