Pollinators have a symbiotic relationship with flowering plants. Many plants produce nectar, a sugary substance that pollinators drink for nutrients and energy. In return, the pollinators help spread pollen from flower to flower so plants can reproduce.
In the wild, the most effective pollinators visit a limited number of flower species, which increases the chances that the pollen they carry makes it to another flower of the same species. The pollinators don’t consciously carry pollen. The transfer from one flower to another is achieved as a byproduct of the pollinator searching for nectar.
Some pollinators, such as honey bees, also visit flowering plants to collect pollen. They use flower pollen as a food source.