EITICIE^'CY 01^ Y^^lilF^_M-?ECTS_ IN. .CAUSING 

 FERTILIZATION OF ALFALFA FLOWERS > 



Domest ic Honeybees t_Bum"blebees^, and Wild. Bee s 

 " TMeg acHTle sppT)' 



When alfalfa i^lants are in blossom at Pullma.n, Wash., 

 particularly op warm "bright days when there is not much 

 wind blowing, hoiiej^ gathering, insects^ are quite numerous 

 in the alfalfa fields. From observations, it was determ- 

 ined that the most common insects v^hich gather honey from 

 the flowers of alfalfas are the domestic honeybees, ( A.pi s 

 mellife ra L. ) ; one or more of several species of bumble- 

 bees ( Bombu s spp. )are usually'' present; and also a wild 

 bee of the species Mega ch ile . There are a few other species 

 of insects which visit the alfalfa flowers to gather 

 honey, but are present in the fields in only comparatively 

 sm^all numbers. 



In the vicinity of Chinook, in northern Montana where 

 alfalfa seed is produced on several hundreds of acres 

 annually, only a very limited number of insects are found 

 in the alfalfa fields v/hen the flowers are in blossom. 

 The insects which are rost frequently found are, the 

 domestic honeybee (Apis sp. ) , bumblebees of different 

 species i_Bombus__sjjp . ) , and one or more species of Megac hile. 



In 1909 a-nd in 1910, insects v^ere watched while at 

 work getting honej^ from the alfalfa flowers; a count was 



(44) 



