"Homing" bees in Wyoming ???

[Barry Digman]

My sister and her husband are spending the summer touring the western US in a motorhome. She called with a question about bees in the beet fields of Wyoming. She described them as 4'x6'x8' structures two feet off the ground with one end open and covered with chickenwire. I've never heard of such a hive. The locals said they were for "homing bees".

Anyone know what they really are?

[rkr]

Leaf cutter hive maybe?

http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~umbagav...e%20hives.html

[garprob]

Cutter bees. They are in the alfalfa fields which are being used to produce seed rather than hay- not the beet fields. Cutter bees are able to pollinate alfalfa more effectively than honey bees. Honey bees do collect nectar from alfalfa though. My bees are making alfalfa honey right now- well, wildflower honey, but I think it is mostly alfalfa.

[Barry Digman]

Thanks guys. That looks like the structures they described.