Trapping methodology
To catch bees using the netting method, each transect was walked once
for 30 minutes at approximately 08:00, 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00 before
the squash flowers closed around midday. Any observed honeybees and
bumblebees that were visiting squash flowers within 1.5 m of the
transect were captured. To allow for maximum sample sizes, pan traps
were used alongside netting. Brightly colored pan traps attract bees,
who are subsequently trapped by soapy liquid in the pans and drown
(Roulston et al. 2007). In our study, fluorescent blue, yellow, and
white pan traps were placed in an alternating color pattern 5 m apart
along each transect between the crop rows. Each trap was filled with a
mixture of water and clear dish soap. Traps were set up by 07:00 am,
checked every three hours for captured pollinators, and collected after
the squash flowers closed around midday, for a total average duration of
six hours.