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Managing Colonies of Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) for Pollination Purposes1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

G. A. Hobbs ,
W. O. Nummi  and
J. F. Virostek
G. A. Hobbs
Affiliation:
Research Station, Canada Department of Agriculture, Lethbridge, Alberta
W. O. Nummi
Affiliation:
Research Station, Canada Department of Agriculture, Lethbridge, Alberta
J. F. Virostek
Affiliation:
Research Station, Canada Department of Agriculture, Lethbridge, Alberta
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Extract

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.

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 94 , Issue 11 , November 1962 , pp. 1121 - 1132
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1962

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