Keep bees covered, cool, and in the dark during transport to the field. Never release bees during high winds since wind will disperse the bees away from the shelter. Place the incubator tray or trays, depending on the shelter's capacity, in the shelter. Trays should sit in the path of sunlight, but not directly on the ground. Mating will take place for several days.
Females begin bringing leaf material within the first week of release for nest production.
Females actually begin pollinating almost immediately after release because they need to feed on pollen for their ovaries to properly develop. During bloom, check on the bees regularly. Note when the first nest tunnels are capped. Remove the incubation trays after 7 to 10 days from the shelters. Many insecticides are lethal to the alfalfa leafcutting bee.