Nectar Heaven
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No-slip flower petals make for perfect bee landings.
I've fallen and I can't get up! Not if you're a... pollinator. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Most flowers are covered in tiny Braille-like bumps. Why? Botanists aren't sure. Some have suggested that insects may read these by touch, feeling the way to the Land O' Nectar.
But... No.
Enter Beverley Glover, from the University of Cambridge. She filmed bumblebees in her lab as they buzzed around phony snapdragon petals.
Some had the mini-mounds, some didn't.
She found that bees made contact with all of the fake flowers – but only landed on rough ones. Playing the video in super-slow-mo revealed why. The bees tried to touch down on smooth flowers. But their petite feet slid and skidded across the surface like Bambi on ice.
Mystery solved! The structures simply provide traction. They're like non-slip bathtub treads. By providing toeholds, flowers ensure patrons a steady foot. So they're more apt to stay a while, sip some syrup, and pay the plant back by pollinating it.
Also the flowers provide free wireless. No, but – they might consider it.
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