ENVS 2210 Chapter 45-51: Bees - Biology and Management, Chapters 45-51
2 Mar 2012
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America: pollination in orchards, pollinizers: tress that provide a source of pollen compatible for a specific crop, pollen inserts: entrance of hive so bees leaving have to be covered in pollen. Alfalfa leafcutter bees: megachile rotundata, hole nesting bees as their pollen baskets are under their abdomens (not on legs like most bees, smaller than honeybees (~7mm, came to north america from eurasia in 1940s. Important for the pollination of alfalfa plants and also for hybrid canola and lowbush blueberries. Alkali bees: nomia melanderi, about 14 mm long, ground nesting in very specific kinds of soil (i. e. with silt, neutral acidity, high salts, etc) Important pollinators of alfalfa in 1940s as dense aggregations of females were present: artificial bee beds created (w. p. Stephen) which had 50-fold increase in density than natural beds: shows that ground nesters can be encouraged for pollination.
