Artificial Bee Beds for the Propagation of the Alkali Bee, Nomia melander1

The construction of artificial beds for the propagation of the alkali bee (Nomia melanderi Ckll.) was achieved by duplicating the texture, moisture, and alkalinity of the native soils in which the bee was found. Pits, up to 60 by 60 feet in outside dimension, were excavated 3 feet deep and lined with polyethylene. Two to four inches of gravel were added to the polyethylene and the pits backfilled with soil consisting of less than 7% clay-size particles. Salt was rotovated into the upper level of the bed to effect soil dispersion and reduced water loss. Tubes were led through the soil to the gravel layer as a method of introducing the necessary moisture, and transplants were made into the bed to serve as the nucleus of the new colony. Burrowing populations in excess of 250 per square foot were recorded from a 2-year-old bed, which represents an 8-fold increase in population density over the best natural site in Oregon.