The alkali bee (Nomia melanderi) is slightly smaller than a honey bee, with opalescent stripes that shimmer between yellow, green, red and blue. Courtesy of Doug Walsh/WSU.

Among the more than 3,600 bee species native to our continent, Hanson developed a special fondness for alkali bees during a visit to the Touchet Valley, he writes in his book.

Bees in one acre of bee bed can pollinate about 200 acres of alfalfa, and the area's farmers nurture between 30 to 40 bee beds, he said. Growers manage alkali bees by creating artificial dry creek ...

But alkali bees loved it, pollinating some 5,500 flowers daily. Farmers lucky enough to live next to them were raising three times more alfalfa seed per acre than those who didn’t.

Doug Walsh, Washington State University professor of entomology, said he believes the mesh-barrier system will be another failure as he continues to look for ways to protect the bees.

The alternative to alkali bees is importing nonnative leaf-cutter bees from Canada, Wagoner said, but that’s expensive, driving up farmers’ production costs.

When the sun rises and the alkali bees emerge for a new day of pollination, they’re safe. The success of this approach is an example of what farmers call “integrated pest management.” ...

But even they are no match for the native alkali bees, with their mesmerizing iridescent stripes, who range 3-to-5 miles per trip and pollinate alfalfa blossoms like evolutionary professionals.

But even they are no match for the native alkali bees, with their mesmerizing iridescent stripes, who range 3 to 5 miles per trip and pollinate alfalfa blossoms like evolutionary professionals.

Northwest farmers produce a quarter of the country's alfalfa seeds, but they get help from millions of alkali bees, thanks to one of the most unique agricultural partnerships in the country.

Northwest farmers produce a quarter of the country's alfalfa seeds, but they get help from millions of alkali bees, thanks to one of the most unique agricultural partnerships in the country.