In line with honey bees, bumblebees are also very important pollinators! Without bumblebees we would not have many of the fruits, vegetables and wildflowers that we all love so much!
Almost every tomato in the world is pollinated by bumblebees as they need to be 'buzz pollinated'. In Australia, where there are no native bumblebees, tomatoes are all pollinated by hand, using something that looks like an electrical toothbrush which 'buzzes' them.
What is buzz pollination you ask?
Buzz pollination is a technique used by most bumble bees, to release pollen-which is more or less firmly held by the anthers (the part of the flower that holds the pollen). In order to release the pollen, bumblebees and some species of solitary bees are able to grab onto the flower and move their flight muscles rapidly, causing the flower and anthers to vibrate, dislodging pollen. This resonant vibration is called buzz pollination. The honeybee cannot perform buzz pollination..