Hello: Can somebody perhaps tell me what kind of a bee? cuts semi-circles out of shrub leaves and then flies off with them - I do not know where. On a quiet day we heard a gnawing sound near one of our small shrubs in the garden and noticed it coming from what looked to be a 'black bee'. It was cutting a semi-circular section from the edge of a leaf - very quickly and accurately - and the flew off with the piece. Within a few days nearly all the leaves of the shrub had been reshaped. Who is the visitor? Thank you, Dielan
Leaf cutter bee, perhaps? How big was it? If it was larger than a bumbler, it might have been a carpenter bee. If it was the size of a honeybee or a hornet, it's more possible that it's a leaf-cutter. It could also have been a leaf-cutter wasp, although if it was fuzzy, I'd say bee. Have you observed it eating wood or chewing wood at any time? Unless it's a serious infestation, it's not really going to hurt your plants, just re-sculpt them for you.
Hello lorax: Thank you for the quick reply. Judging by the parameters you gave me for the 'unknown' (to me) bee it is a leaf cutter bee. In size in fuzziness it compares directly with a honey bee. What is interesting about the re-sculpting is the fact that it appears to have been done to only one shrub. I will have to wait until my better half returns from the Lower Mainland before I can tell you what the name of the shrub is. Our neighbour across the fence has the same type of plant which has received very little attention by our guest bee. Judging by the brown edges leaves of ours it may quit early this the season. Unless I find where the bee is 'hiding' how can I keep it away from our shrubs next season? Thank you. Dielan
I was quite distressed last year by the leaf cutter bee's adoption of two of my plants, and very relieved when I found out what it was; I'd never heard of them. I think they are classed as beneficial insects. This year, I have them again, but on different plants. The ones they did last year are untouched this year, and furthermore, they're thriving. Of all the plants they've been at, I've never noticed that the plant seems bothered. If your plant does seem to be suffering, perhaps it is suffering from something unrelated to the leaf cutter bees - too dry, too much sun... or I even have one shrub that turns brown every year after blooming just for the fun of it. You could post a picture here for opinions.
It's even more interesting when you see what they do with the leaves. They carve long holes into punky (spongy, semi-rotted) wood. With the leaf, they make really neat little hollow 'bullets' that contain an egg & sufficient food and then places them end to end in the hole until the hole is filled. They're also good pollinators!
Leaf cutter bees are not always beneficial - they can devestate a taproot type plant because they will bore right through it or introduce rot into the root structure - people growing cactus have to be especially wary,,, I do like them though, and I have drilled holes in our deck posts to accomodate masonry bees as well.. Cheers charliewood
This is to thank everybody who shared information on leaf cutter bees. Unless you consider it valuable to continue .... I now have all the information I had hoped for; great experience! Again, thank you. Dielan
Colorado State Extension has a great article on leafcutter bees (with photographs). Where I grew up, leafcutter bees were used to pollinate alfalfa fields, just like they describe in that article:
