What’s the buzz about pollinators?

Many people live busy lives, but when they stop to smell the roses they might see a pollinator balanced on the petals. It’s easy to think of pollen only in terms of what it does to those suffering from seasonal allergies, but pollen is essential for plant and animal life.

The Ecological Society of America says pollen is a plant’s male sex cells that must be transferred from one flower to the stigma of the same flower or another for the plant to produce fruit and seed. Although some of this pollination occurs naturally, such as that aided by the wind or among plants that are self-pollinating, the vast majority of plants cannot move pollen without helpers, or pollinators. Check out these facts about pollinators and pollination to learn why they’re important to ecological health.

• Insects