Leaf Cutter BeeWhile sitting out in the garden recently eating dinner, we were attracted by audible munching noises from our wisteria plant. Further investigation showed a bee-like creature neatly chopping an oval piece out of a leaf then flying away with its prize. It then returned for another piece of leaf, and then several more.
Later research told us that it was indeed a bee—a leaf cutter bee in fact—a solitary but quite friendly creature that likes wisteria, rose and other leaves as nest making material.
Webmaster
We opened our garden sunshade yesterday and a little green funnel of leaves fell out. When I picked it up it started to disintegrate, so I poked it back under the sunshade, and after a few minutes a bee arrived and began repairing it with little semi-circular bits of leaf. We had heard of leaf-cutter bees, and assumed this was one. It took it about ten minutes to complete the nest with a little trapdoor. We carefully folded and covered the sunshade, and now we have an unusable sunshade!
Frank&Eve
we have leafcutting bees under our wooden garden table we sit and drink and eat and the bees merrily fly around with leafs and come and go. our visitors are now used to them and we watch them making their nests.
I have just noticed a leaf cutter in my lavender, i called my father who keeps bees to find out what it was doing as it was digging a hole for about an hour.. Dad said it was a miner bee…
Later on i went back and had a poke about, i know i should not have but i am curious. Anyway could hear the bee buzzing then spotted rolled up leaves that were not from the lavender, called back DAD! Then told it was a leaf cutter… But now I am worried that i may have destroyed its home by poking around, will it be alright as i coverd it a little with compost… hope so..
are leaf cutter bees dangerous like normall bees?
Leaf cutter bees are solitary, they do not swarm. If provoked they may sting, but generally passive and just get on with what they do, cut leaf, go to nest site, cut leaf, go to nest site… you get the idea. I encourage them into my garden with a bamboo cane bundle artificial home as per here >> http://www.wildlife-gardening.co.uk/OG9.htm as they are good pollinators, and predate on garden pests.
could anyone tell me how to STOP bees (honey) from going into
my bird nest boxes they go in and kill the young birds
is there something i can spray to stop them from going into the
boxes that will not harm the birds ?e-mail me normhall (AT) ripper.com.au
I suggest you contact your nearest honey farm and ask them. They have ways of moving hives and might even welcome a new queen.
I’m delighted to discover why a bee in the greenhouse was carrying around a leaf piece underneath itself and trying to get under a plastic plant pot. As I now know it’s a leaf cutter bee and it has cut up leaves in the grape vine cuttings I am growing, but where its nest is I don’t know – it’s not under the pot. What is the attraction of the bottom of the cuttings plant pot which is resting on a compartmentalised seed tray?
At a guess, the nest may be INSIDE the flower pot – this is what they have done in several of our flower pots anyway, on a slatted shelf; they fly up and under the shelf and into the flower pot through one of the holes in the bottom. They make their nurseries in the pot among the plant roots – these are little thimble-like sealed cells made out of cut rose leaves, each cell containing a mass of nectar and pollen and a bee egg. The eggs turn into grubs, eat the food left inside the nest by the helpful mother bee, pupate, and then the next year the new bees fly out of the holes. They choose our succulent plants which are rarely watered or interfered with, so the earth is nice and dry, and quite often any empty old flower pot with earth or a dead plant in it. Even when its a live plant though, it’s unaffected and the bees are just so cool. I love them. (Though a lot of my roses have a lot of holes in their leaves!)
Dear All,
Good to read all these comments about Leaf-cutting bees. We have many in the Allied Special Forces Grove at the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffs. They arrived in 5 giant sequoia tree seats that we
brought from Herefordshire. An elderly lady was sat over the entrance hole of one bee last year and we cordially asked her to move over so that the bee could return home. We are glad that the bees are helping to polinate flowers at the Arboretum.
Regards,
Mike Colton
Secretary
B Squadron
Allied Special Forces Grove
Hi there, I had spotted a little bee going in and out of a hole in the wall of our house. Actually there are three holes, made by a drill I think by the previous owners. I thought the bee was a solitary bee, but then about a month ago i then noticed the holes were closed up and upon further investigation I was surprised to see it was made up of layers of leaves, (well two of them are, but the third appears to be a hard brown resin type substance) i guessed that it was probably a nest of some sort and have discovered it is from the leaf cutter bee. I think it is great, what clever little creatures. My only concern is that we are getting cavity wall insulation next week and i hope that it won’t kill the nest. I’m going to make or buy a little bee house for them next year. bzzzzzz zzzzz
For several years I have had leaf cutter bees in my greenhouse. They tunnel into the pots through the holes in the bottom. I have the pots standing on wire trays to help drainage. The main leaves that they cut are the Judas tree. They affect it quite badly, and it does not thrive. they have been cutting into chilli plants this year, I hope the grubs like it spicy!
For the last four days, my mother in law has been complaining about something taking chunks out of her black eyed susan flowers. Chemical warfare with ant powder ( there are ants in the pot ) and slug pellets has had no effect !! A call to Notcutts advice desk was unfruitful; with the suggestion that it might be birds.
However, while examining the plants for signs of other insect pests, I stood and watched while a solitary small bee flew in, carefully and rapidly excised a piece of petal and flew off again. Within thirty seconds it or another came back and repeated the process.
I’ve heard of leaf cutter bees, but PETALS !!! I just hope that it won’t be too long before it’s finished.
My neighbour and I were sitting on her patio last Sunday chatting. She pointed to her recently acquired wedding present; a beautiful climbing rose, shortly to be planted out at her new house. We noted the semi circular pieces of leaf which were missing and at first thought it was due to snails. Then she shouted “look at that”. It was a leaf cutter bee taking another piece of leaf. Being South African my neighbour had never come across this little insect before. She was intrigued and puzzled. I had forgotten they existed until that moment. Needless to say, the rose tree was moved indoors and inspected carefully for anymore inhabitants.
I have a back yard to my house in a built up terraced area. It is covered in netting to keep my cats in but I cut holes in it so as the bees do not get trapped (and have an easy eacape route from the furries!). I have around 28 plants out there and was curious to why I had half circles cut out. By chance today I met my new ‘friend’ the leaf eating Bee. He has been back about 10 times, he cuts the leaf withtin seconds flies up to the wall for a minutes rest then goes through the netting to wherever. I thought leaf eating ants were interesting but the Bees take it to a new level. Do I need to get out more!!
I have a mini hive for leaf cutter bees, and I notice wasps making an entry. Do they do any damage.? RHJ
It’s great to hear about all your experiences and that you view these little chaps with a friendly eye despite the “lace-work”! We haven’t seen any this year though they are clearly around elsewhere this season (our wisteria leaves are still whole and unchewed!) RHJ – I can’t pretend to be an expert so I don’t know about the wasps – may I suggest you search the internet and see what you find…and perhaps post a note for all of us?
I have a leaf cutter bee nesting in my porch. When I first spotted it, I thought it was a bee with green markings instead of yellow. Now I have photographed it and blown it up I can see it is a bee carrying a leaf. Very interesting little bee.
I have had a charming meeting with a small bee. I was sitting in the garden wearing shorts, with my knees up in front of me. The bee landed on the curve of my knee, and we sat watching each other for some minutes. It had short, stubby wings, and vertical ovoid eyes. After a while it uncoiled its snake-like tongue, and began licking my knee. After salt?
Then it went peacefully on its way.
Hi there, i posted over a year ago, July 2009…well those little bee nests i’d discovered in the little holes in my wall hatched earlier this year, i could actually see the new little bee inside for a while, as it had made a little hole in the front of the nest,..if i put my finger near the entrance it retreated further back into it’s hole. then one day the holes were…well, holes again, empty. But with in days they were bunged back up with leaves , and once again waiting to hatch next year. I didn’t get round to making that little bee nest, maybe next year! PS Dante (24th August) i liked your story about the bee licking your leg, and how you stared at each other and if you are anything like me there was an attempt at a conversation too! ???