The Birds and The Bees

Let's talk about the birds and the bees.

They have a lot more in common than you might realize.

Think about something that both birds and bees can do.

They both have wings and they can fly.

Bees have something else that birds have but you'd need to look close, very close and use a magnifying glass to see.

Bees have feathers.

What? It's true. They do.

When we look at bees we see their lovely golden fur. We say things like 'fuzzy bee'. They do look fuzzy.

If you magnified the hairs on a bee you would see they are actually plumes just like the feathers on a bird, only much more delicate.

The fur or feathers keeps the bee warm on cold days and during the winter.

These feathers are perfectly designed. They are light and airy so the bee can fly.

They are thick and warm so the bee can retain her body heat and survive through the cold winter.

Last time we looked at how a bee uses her fur to collect pollen through static electricity.

Now you can see why bees of a feather stick together!