POLLINATION
Vital for survival, but not just a bee thing
Y
ou can thank a
pollinator for one in
every three bites of
food that you eat. Thirty five
percent of our crops rely on
insects, birds or animals to
pollinate them.
What is pollination? When
bees and other creatures
move around flowers, they
take pollen, which forms on
the male part of the flowers,
the anthers, and move it to
the pistils, or female parts of
the flowers. If the pollen lands
in the right spot, it moves
down through the pistils, to
the eggs, which are inside the
flower.
Pollination is also brought
about by wind and water.
Pollination comes before
fertilization, and fertilization
results directly in the plant
producing seeds and fruits.
Seeds, of course, are the
means by which plants
manage to disperse to new
sites.
They are also a means by
which a plant species can
survive in a dormant phase,
BEEKEEPING
From page 28
south and the Northern
Boeekeeperes Association
serves Pretoria and surrounds.
There are a further six
associations scattered around
the rest of South Africa. Most
associations meet monthly,
and cover various topics for all
comers and some provide
courses for beginners. At the
meetings one meets other
beekeepers who could guide
and assist one as a beginner.
Purchase good quality kit
which should include boots,
overalls, veil, gloves, smoker,
hive tool and bee brush, all
obtainable from beekeeper's
shops.
Home-made equipment and
clothing not specifically
designed for beekeeping is a
recipe for disaster.
Consult a beekeeper or
someone at the monthly
meeting to advise you on the
correct size of overall (at least
one size too big because you
need to wear a further layer
30
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during times of drought or
other stress.
Seeds and fruits are also food
for many people and animals,
and include all the grains that
we consume.
We tend to think that
honeybees are the only
pollinators. While honeybees
Continued on page 31
or two of thick clothing
underneath to prevent the
bees' stings from penetrating
to your skin).
With the best kit at hand,
teach yourself to dress
properly alone, including
fitting the veil so that it is snug
to one's shoulders (preventing
the ingress of bees to one's
face … a most scary thing).
Teach yourself about the
different fuels for your smoker
and how to light the smoker
Continued on page 31