Fun Fact Friday - Bees Eyesight

I've watched a lot of bees as of late. I could tell you all day long that they have two large compound eyes on the side of their head. What I didn't know, and yet to be able to photograph, is that they also have three little ocelli eyes in the middle of their head. The large eyes help the bees see patterns. Honey bees can also see ultraviolet light. And since flowers reflect large amounts of uv light it makes the flower stand out prominently for the bees. It appears they prefer blues and purples but cannot really see the color red. And dark colors are associated with predators such as bears and skunks. So when planting your flowers make sure to plant plenty in bright colors!