Red Flowers ?

[Chipchopper]

Listening to factoids on radio two, it was stated that bees can't see the colour red, they see it as black.
This got me thinking, why are so many flowers red, if the bees can't see them ?

[Buenchico]

I've listened to 'factoids' hundreds of times and I've yet to encounter a day when they're all true. At least 15% of them seem to be urban myths (that have frequently been debunked by programmes such as QI months, or even years, before that egotistical tw.t and his cohorts give voice to them on Radio 2).

A study published by Menzel and Blakers in 1975 in the Journal of Comparative Physiology ("Colour receptors in the bee eye — Morphology and spectral sensitivity") showed that bees can see a wider range of colours than humans but, in particular, can see well into the ultra-violet region. It's likely that it's the ultra-violet light reflected by (what we see as) red flowers which draws them although, given that they can smell nectar from up to two mles away, colour might not be that important to them anyway.

[mastercraft]

You should be on Eggheads, you're a wealth of information.

[douglas9401]

Think you're right about the colour thing Chris, same jerseys every day.

[hammerman]

Also, don't forget that bees are not the only pollenators....other insects such as hoverflies and butterflies might see colours in different ways to Bees.

[chanel5]

I love this site. Such a wonderful mixture of questions that make me ponder, genuinely interesting information and humour. This thread is a classic example of all of that. Thank you.