The life of a honey bee is full of occupational hazards.

Luckily Nature has developed a safety mechanism to protect its insect work force. According to a study recently published in the journal Current Biology it’s easier to get a grip on flowers with conical cells on their petals than on those with smooth petals.

Scientists attracted bees to artificial flowers, of which half had smooth petal surfaces, while the others had a rough finish. When placed horizontally, both petal types were equally attractive. But when the petals were presented at an angle, the bees clearly preferred the rough-surfaced flowers.

Analysis of high-speed footage of the bees’ landing showed that they scramble to get a grip on smooth petals, while on petals with conical cells they always managed to find a foothold. The conical cells thus create a kind of natural Velcro, providing a secure landing strip for safer nectar gathering. That’s what we call traction control.