** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WILD BEES ARE IMPORTANT CROP POLLINATORS, WHICH CAN INCREASE FRUIT SET AND YIELD IN MANY FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CROPS. HOWEVER, THERE IS INSUFFICIENT DATA ON WHICH BEE SPECIES POLLINATE DIFFERENT CROPS AND NON-CROP PLANTS. ADDITIONALLY, CROP YIELD IS OFTEN LIMITED BY INSUFFICIENT POLLINATION, WHICH CAN BE CAUSED BY BEES NOT HAVING ENOUGH ACCESS TO FOOD (IN THE FORM OF POLLEN AND NECTAR FROM FLOWERS) THROUGHOUT THEIR ACTIVE SEASON. I HAVE SELECTED MUSKMELON AS A FOCAL CROP FOR THIS PROJECT AS IT'S FRUIT PRODUCTION IS COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON INSECT POLLINATION. IN THIS PROJECT, I AIM TO IDENTIFY THE WILD BEE SPECIES ASSOCIATED WITH MUSKMELON AND OTHER CROPS ON DIVERSIFIED FARMS. I WILL COLLECT BEES FROM FARMS GROWING MUSKMELON AND OTHER CROPS. I WILL COLLECT BEES AND BEE DNA DIRECTLY FROM MUSKMELON FLOWERS, FROM OTHER CROP FLOWERS, AND USING TRAPS. BY RECORDING THE PLANTS BEES WERE COLLECTED FROM, AND BY IDENTIFYING POLLEN COLLECTED FROM BEES, I CAN DETERMINE WHICH BEES SPECIES ARE VISITING MUSKMELON MOST OFTEN. I WILL ALSO IDENTIFY THE OTHER CROPS AND NON-CROP PLANTS THE MUSKMELON POLLINATING BEES ARE VISITING. I WILL THEN USE THIS INFORMATION TO DEVELOP PLANTING RECOMMENDATIONS (INCLUDING CROPS AND OTHER PLANTS) FOR MUSKMELON GROWERS SO THAT THEY CAN ENSURE THAT MUSKMELON POLLINATORS HAVE ACCESS TO FOOD THROUGHOUT THEIR ACTIVE SEASON. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR GROWERS TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY POPULATION OF WILD POLLINATORS, SO THAT THEIR CROPS, INCLUDING MUSKMELON, RECEIVE SUFFICIENT POLLINATION. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS CAN BE A SUSTAINABLE OPTION FOR GROWERS LOOKING TO INCREASE YIELD OR PROTECT FROM YIELD LOSSES.