Bee Pollen Sacs

What are bee pollen sacs

Last summer, while photographing bees visiting flowers, I started noticing bright yellow lumps on the legs of both honey bees and bumblebees, and after some digging discovered they were pollen sacs—something I’d somehow never noticed before despite years of photographing bees.

Pollen collection explained

Pollen sacs, also called corbicula, are specialized structures on the hind legs of queen and worker bees that allow them to pack and transport pollen back to the hive; male bees do not actively collect pollen, and not all bees use sacs, as some carry pollen loosely on their hairy bodies instead. (Source: AccentNatural)

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