It is fascinating to watch bees at work. They play such a vital role in our ecosystem. Though this is a yellow jacket, not a bee, it is often viewed by the novice as being one and most of us may call them bees. And though yellow jackets are not true pollinators in a more precise sense, the website listed below does say, "Yellow jackets don't visit flowers much; they mostly catch other insects. When they do visit flowers, they only accomplish a little pollination, because they aren't fuzzy." Still, I am seeing them in our flowers constantly and they usually are covered with some pollen. But, in the truest sense, yellow jackets are not classified as pollinators.

I found some interesting and important information at a website called Pollinator Partnership:

"Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. They also sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural resources by helping plants reproduce."

"Pollinating animals travel from plant to plant carrying pollen on their bodies in a vital interaction that allows the transfer of genetic material critical to the reproductive system of most flowering plants – the very plants that bring us countless fruits, vegetables, and nuts, ˝ of the world’s oils, fibers and raw materials; prevent soil erosion, and increase carbon sequestration This nearly invisible ecosystem service is a precious resource that requires attention and support - - and in disturbing evidence found around the globe, is increasingly in jeopardy. " http://www.pollinator.org/pollinators)