Leaf cutter bee making nests inside Nurturing Nature’s observation box
Probably Megachile centuncularis, also known as the patchwork leaf cutter bee, seen here living up to its name. The video shows how much time and effect is needed by these bees to fulfill the requirements needed for their offspring to survive for many months inside their cavities.
Probably a Willughby’s leafcutter bee (Megachile Willughbiella)
Leafcutter bee at rest with her handiwork under her body
With the big UK decline of honey bees these little known pollinators need our help as much as we need theirs. Getting the message out there, enhancing our gardens to be ‘bee friendly’ and enticing wild bees to nest is more important than ever.
Hopefully next years leaf cutter bee!
Read more detailed information about leaf cutters here
“All my articles and videos, available free, are funded by my teaching and sales of award winning bumblebee nest boxes, solitary bee boxes, and wormeries. Please help by spreading the word and forwarding this link to your friends and colleagues. https://nurturing-nature.co.uk Thank you” George Pilkington For more information about bees and wasps…Bees Wasps and Ants Recording Society BWARS
Amazing George. I’ve had so much success this year with leaf cutters in all the boxes. One of your towers is almost full., along with the old bee boxes. We have enjoyed many an hour or so watching these wonderful bees. The speed they cut the leaf is amazing. Almost all my rose bushes have neat cutouts but their favourites have been lavertera these plants have hardly any leaves left but still plenty of flowers!!
When should the boxes be taken in to overwinter George?? Don’t want the boxes to get waterlogged.
Hi Marian, Can you send me a photo of one of mine please? I may start compiling a customer album and comments….!!
Take them in as soon as the activity has stopped. I will email you shortly. Cheers, George
Thanks George,
Beautiful video!
I had always thought that the bees just ate the leaves into those shapes.
best wishes
Kit
Thanks kit. The kids I taught in Liverpool called them the ‘cigar’ bees! Cheerio for now, George
Hi George,
My leaf-cutters also started a couple of nests in your bee hotel, I noticed for the first time in mid August. I’ll check again and see how far they went
Thanks for letting me know Africa. Hope n parasitoid wasps get them….Cheers, George
I have just looked on this web site has today we saw a leafcutter bee (didn’t know what it was until looking on here ) was fascinating. Watching her going away and coming back with yellow privet leafs and made her nest in my garden bench was great to watch
Thanks for sharing Jayne. Cheers, George
I saw my first leaf cutting bees today. It had a piece of leaf the length of its body and had come to rest on an old frost damaged pot which had a rather neglected herb in it. The weather had been hot,warmest day for 40 years. The soil around the inside rim seemed to have shrunk and down this cavity the bee disappeared after a lengthy rest..
Hoping to see it in action again.Should I avoid watering the plant pot now it has an occupant?
Are there plants in the pot? If so water them but try to keep main water say from side you saw bee. Use a fine roses watering can hth cheers George
Hi i was sat in the garden this afternoon and noticed a flying insect going into one of the cross struts on my rotary washing line, fascinated i moved closer and waited for the insect to return and saw it with a leaf under it’s belly, it was great to see, i had seen one once before years ago, i will keep my eye out to see if it returns next year.
Mick
Your leafcutter will not return next year, she only lives a few short weeks, leaving her offspring to continue her line next year.Cheers, George
leafcutter bees have moved into the rim tube around my gazebo
Nice one! They won’t be there too long, they son die leaving the next generation for next year, Cheers, George
We have our bedroom in the loft and during the hot weather we leave the window open. One day I noticed a cigar shape of leaves inside the flap of our camera bag. I didn’t know what it was, so put it to one side, then I lifted up a pile of folded trousers that I had put to one side for alteration and found another one. I researched it and realised it was a leafcutter bee. We waited and watched and she returned. We drilled some holes in some wood for her and she started to nest in there. She would wait by the window for us to open it in the morning and every evening my husband would find her asleep on his pillow. We would scoop her up and put her by her nest and in the morning she would wait to be let out. We named her Beelinda and we really miss her now she’s died. We still have her babies and we are looking forward to putting them out in the summer
Aw! Thanks for sharing this! Cheers George
I discovered today that I have one of these wondrous bees busy in my greenhouse. I saw a leaf disappearing down a hole in the compost of a small pot and watched agog to see what would come out! The bee went back and forth with leaves all day. I now know what is happening and will see if I can find the plant they are using tomorrow. My sons named the bee Busby. Thankyou for your information.
My pleasure Lucy! Cheers George
A solitary bee has built a nest in a hole under my wooden garden table. A spider lives in another hole, will the spider attack the nest?
Probably not. If it has built a web then if a bee gets caught in it, then it will more likely eat it. Cheers George
Hello George, I have just looked up the leafcutter bee on the web, and thought you might be interested to hear about my bee’s beehaviour! I absentmindedly sat in an old chair on my patio this morning, and the bee I’ve been watching for a couple of weeks gently bumped my forehead, as if to say”Oy, you’re in my seat!” When I first noticed him he had behaved in a similar fashion, hovering close to my face, and only today it came to me that this intelligent little creature must have known, somehow, that he HAD to get close to my eyes, to let me know that my body was covering his entrance into the crevice between wood and metal on the arm of the old chair.
What do you think?
Well Wendy, an interesting observation. I suspect your he is actually a nesting female! Thanks for sharing. George
Hi George ..I’ve had a bee hotel for some years with no takers..however today I noticed a bee going back and forth in one of the cells..eventually it plugged the entrance with a perfectly cut leaf.. I managed to photo and video it today.. I suspect It may be a leaf cutter bee and would love to know which species it is and what plants it is feeding/cutting leaves from..I can send a photo/video if you can accept one..I would also like to know how to look after the hotel over winter..i.e. Should I cover it from the elements etc..
Regards pete
Hi Pete, if you have one of my award winning observation nest boxes, you should have received detailed instructions, which will cover your questions? If you have then contact me via email. Thanks, George
Just sat in my garden and watch a leaf cutter bee taking bits of my large rose plant.
Totally fascinating.
I love nature and am still learning about it.
Thank you.
Arent we all still learning about it Rose! Thanks for sharing
I noticed something going into a perfectly round hole in my wall today, I waited and watched and saw it return carrying a leaf. Will the bee have made this hole itself or is it an old hole I haven’t noticed before? It’s wonderful watching her go about her work. It also explains the holes in my rose bush leaves.
They are unlikely to have made the hole themselves they do not have mandibles powerful enough to break into brick, hard mortar, etc. Likely an old nail. Yes they do use roses leaves to cut their semi-circular pieces to make a nest. Thanks, for sharing, George NN hole/similar.
I have been watching leaf cutters going into a huge hole in a pine stump for the last few days. The pine was planted many years ago and the top was chopped off in the 90s. It has been allowed to be a home for anything that might find it useful! What I noticed today was that there are two bees carrying leaves in, is it possible that the two are sharing one entrance but have made separate areas for themsleves inside?
Oh yes they will share one entrance Cynthia. George