Bee Basics - USDA Forest Service - US Department of Agriculture

their pollen like most flowers, but hold it inside the anthers waiting for a skillfulbee that knows how to shake it, just like a saltshaker. Further the pollen clumpsare tied together with sticky threads. Bumble bees and a number of solitarybees are good at pollinating azalea flowers. The Cornell azalea bee (Andrenacornelli) is one of them, a dark-colored, slender bee that is found in the easternUnited States. It is never too far from azaleas because their pollen is its favoritefood. Her pollen baskets have long, widely spaced hairs that are especiallyadapted to the texture and size of these flowers’ pollen clumps.Andrenids are among the earliest bees to emerge in the spring. You willobserve them visiting willows, maples, violets, and other early blooming springwildflowers. Some andrenid bees are very good pollinators of apple blossoms.27