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 Many insects, either deliberately or accidentally, transfer pollen from one flower to another, the act being called pollination. Bees are particularly well equipped to make this transfer because of the dense hairs that cover their bodies. See the honey bee page for a picture of a honey bee with collected pollen. Pollen from one flower collects on these hairs and is brushed off when the bee visits another flower.
While honey bees are the best known pollinators, many other bees are important pollinators as well. Among the most important to gardeners and orchardists are mason bees and bumble bees.
Mason bees are a bit smaller than honey bees and blue/black in color. They don't live in colonies but rather nest individually in small cavities or holes. They are excellent pollinators but do not produce honey. Many gardeners construct nest blocks to encourage mason bees in their gardens and orchards. See this North Carolina Extension site for one plan to build a nest block.
HOW TO RAISE AND MANAGE ORCHARD MASON BEES FOR THE HOME GARDEN
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A mason bee, Osmia ribifloris (on a barberry flower). Photo by USDA/ARS
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