Actually, I suspect you've already figured out that pollination is the problem, more so than the heat. Hand pollinating might help you this year -- although IMO, that's a solution only for the small home crop! NTL, it really doesn't take all that long to do, it's just an achy-back chore. See link for details; if you aren't saving seed, skip the "close the female" step and just get busy with the male flower.

I suspect that you would be better off with a variety of bee-attracting flowers instead of a single square. Unless you're into large-machine agribusiness, monoculture is never a good idea in any category. However, if 4x4 is the only space you have, build it up into a small pyramid (to give you more surface planting area) and put in an assortment of long-flowering annuals; you *might* be able to find some now at a local nursery. Marigolds, salvias, and zinnias are the most carefree with long blooming periods. If you grow the melons on A-frames, trellis or fencing, next year try interspersing with vine beans such as fortex or scarlet runner (fortex is good eating, SR is pretty) or even a disease resistent lima such as fordhook. Beans are superb for attracting bees and will also act as nitrogen-fixers to enrich the soil.

Here is a link that might be useful: hand-pollination

Thanks Meldy,
Didn't mean to put this in the VA Forum.
It's just a small home garden, I would guess my melon patch is about 20X20, 4 plants of 2 different varieties of cantaloupes & 2 watermelons. The flowers/clover would have been smack dab in the middle, just to get the bees in the area, then maybe they'd visit the melons.

Sure is hot for high noon out there!

Harry,
Sweating in Henrico

Why not in VA forum; you're here; we're here!

Hot up here too, feels worse than the thermometer says, humidity must be wa-a-a-y up!

For the fun of it:

http://web.live.weatherbug.com/Broadcaster/1/Home.aspx?zcode=z4798&list=1&lid=BSL

Put your city in the box to get a pretty good forecast:

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/forecasts/VAZ053.php?warncounty=VAC059&city=Annandale

And since we are supposed to get some rain, some time, some where.... [Virginia is in the rightmost sector in the first row of regional sectors]

http://www.weather.gov/radar_tab.php

My cantaloupe are flowering like crazy but not making fruit. The bees have busy in the summer squash, although even that does not have as many fruit as I would expect. Does anyone know if having the melon and squash so close is making cross pollination problems that is keeping it sterile? I have not yet tried to self pollinate them (haven't had time after I'm done weeding).