Managing Colonies of Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) for Pollination Purposes

Abstract

Seed growers in Alberta must rely to a great extent on leaf-cutter bees, Megachile Latr., and bumble bees, Bombus Latr., to pollinate alfalfa and red clover. Depending largely on the lengths of their proboscises, certain species of leaf-cutter bees and bumble bees are valuable pollinators of these crops (Hobbs et al., 1961, Hobbs, 1962). The leaf-cutter bees are solitary, non-gregarious species and are, therefore, difficult to manage. Because bumble bees are colonial and are more prolific than leaf-cutter bees, and because suitable species for the pollination of alfalfa and of red clover are found in most regions of Alberta, efforts are presently being made to manage bumble bees.