Leaf cutter bees
 

Something new to this particular spot - the leaf cutter bee! Ray and
Matthew were out in the nursery earlier this evening and saw a leaf cutter
bee doing its thing on the rose Mde. Isaac Pereire. On closer inspection,
there are several semi-circular bits taken out of this plant, which is
growing over a pergola in the nursery. But interestingly, this is opposite
the area in which other roses are kept for sale. The only rose in pots with
holes out of its leaves is the very same one. All the others have been
ignored.
Does anyone here happen to know what gets the bee to concentrate on one
particular plant?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

Leaf cutter bees
 

Sacha wrote:
Something new to this particular spot - the leaf cutter bee! Ray and
Matthew were out in the nursery earlier this evening and saw a leaf
cutter bee doing its thing on the rose Mde. Isaac Pereire. On closer
inspection, there are several semi-circular bits taken out of this
plant, which is growing over a pergola in the nursery. But
interestingly, this is opposite the area in which other roses are
kept for sale. The only rose in pots with holes out of its leaves is
the very same one. All the others have been ignored.
Does anyone here happen to know what gets the bee to concentrate on
one particular plant?

Not an expert on bees but I've uncovered dozens of their offspring rolled up
in leaves when I've been replacing bricks on top of a garden wall, maybe
they want only leaves that retain some elasticity or water repellency?
- certainly the ones I've found have been weeks old (the young were almost
fully formed) and the leaves were very fresh, almost as if they had been
plucked that day, but obviously they must have been there weeks.

Leaf cutter bees
 

"Phil L" wrote in message
. uk...
Sacha wrote:
Something new to this particular spot - the leaf cutter bee! Ray and
Matthew were out in the nursery earlier this evening and saw a leaf
cutter bee doing its thing on the rose Mde. Isaac Pereire. On closer
inspection, there are several semi-circular bits taken out of this
plant, which is growing over a pergola in the nursery. But
interestingly, this is opposite the area in which other roses are
kept for sale. The only rose in pots with holes out of its leaves is
the very same one. All the others have been ignored.
Does anyone here happen to know what gets the bee to concentrate on
one particular plant?

Not an expert on bees but I've uncovered dozens of their offspring rolled
up
in leaves when I've been replacing bricks on top of a garden wall, maybe
they want only leaves that retain some elasticity or water repellency?
- certainly the ones I've found have been weeks old (the young were
almost
fully formed) and the leaves were very fresh, almost as if they had been
plucked that day, but obviously they must have been there weeks.



With us its wisteria leaves, if you are close enough to watch the bee in
action, its a most extraordinary noise then they take off using the piece a
bit like a surf board!

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

Leaf cutter bees
 

On 7/7/06 08:10, in article ,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:

snip

With us its wisteria leaves, if you are close enough to watch the bee in
action, its a most extraordinary noise then they take off using the piece a
bit like a surf board!

Thanks to those who replied and I'll check the Wisteria tomorrow because we
have never noticed either that or the Mde Isaac behaviour. Where do they
nest, does anyone know?

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

Leaf cutter bees
 

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 7/7/06 08:10, in article
,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:

snip

With us its wisteria leaves, if you are close enough to watch the bee in
action, its a most extraordinary noise then they take off using the
piece a
bit like a surf board!

Thanks to those who replied and I'll check the Wisteria tomorrow because
we
have never noticed either that or the Mde Isaac behaviour. Where do they
nest, does anyone know?

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

ah! that was the problem. With us it was the conservatory woodwork, they
collapsed half of it before I realized what they were up to! huge great
holes they made, Liz did point out the wood must have been on the way out
before they got at it but they were still not my favourite insects of that
year.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

Leaf cutter bees
 

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 7/7/06 08:10, in article
,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:

snip

With us its wisteria leaves, if you are close enough to watch the bee in
action, its a most extraordinary noise then they take off using the piece
a
bit like a surf board!

Thanks to those who replied and I'll check the Wisteria tomorrow because
we
have never noticed either that or the Mde Isaac behaviour. Where do they
nest, does anyone know?

The females lay a single egg on a pad of pollen in any suitable hole, a few
feet off the ground, preferably in wood. They do this several times. We had
lots of them in the cracks in our old apple tree bark. The adults don't
'nest' as such.

You can encourage them by bundling short lengths of hollow cane together and
hanging the bundle from a tree.

Mary

Leaf cutter bees
 

On 8/7/06 13:12, in article ,
"Mary Fisher" wrote:

snip

You can encourage them by bundling short lengths of hollow cane together and
hanging the bundle from a tree.


No encouragement needed as we're surrounded by many hedges and trees etc.
However, I will now handle the bamboo canes we use with great respect and
care!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

Leaf cutter bees
 

Sacha wrote:
On 8/7/06 13:12, in article
, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:

snip

You can encourage them by bundling short lengths of hollow cane
together and hanging the bundle from a tree.


No encouragement needed as we're surrounded by many hedges and trees
etc. However, I will now handle the bamboo canes we use with great
respect and care!

Not really neccesary, leafcutters are quite docile and not nearly as
aggressive as other bees, moreover, their sting isn't as painful neither.

Leaf cutter bees
 

On 8/7/06 19:05, in article ,
"Phil L" wrote:

Sacha wrote:
On 8/7/06 13:12, in article
, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:

snip

You can encourage them by bundling short lengths of hollow cane
together and hanging the bundle from a tree.


No encouragement needed as we're surrounded by many hedges and trees
etc. However, I will now handle the bamboo canes we use with great
respect and care!

Not really neccesary, leafcutters are quite docile and not nearly as
aggressive as other bees, moreover, their sting isn't as painful neither.


I'll take your word for it but as I'm very allergic to bee stings I'm not
going to test it, either!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

Leaf cutter bees
 

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 8/7/06 13:12, in article
,
"Mary Fisher" wrote:

snip

You can encourage them by bundling short lengths of hollow cane together
and
hanging the bundle from a tree.


No encouragement needed as we're surrounded by many hedges and trees etc.
However, I will now handle the bamboo canes we use with great respect and
care!

They won't lay eggs in vertical canes, only horizontal ones and rarely on
the ground.

As far as I know leaf cutter bees don't sting, they have an ovipositor
instead of a sting. I've handled many with confidence, never been stung and
I sometimes have an anaphylactic reaction to honey bee stings.

Mary

Leaf cutter bees
 

On 9/7/06 11:16, in article ,
"Mary Fisher" wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 8/7/06 13:12, in article
,
"Mary Fisher" wrote:

snip

You can encourage them by bundling short lengths of hollow cane together
and
hanging the bundle from a tree.


No encouragement needed as we're surrounded by many hedges and trees etc.
However, I will now handle the bamboo canes we use with great respect and
care!

They won't lay eggs in vertical canes, only horizontal ones and rarely on
the ground.

We store them horizontally!

As far as I know leaf cutter bees don't sting, they have an ovipositor
instead of a sting. I've handled many with confidence, never been stung and
I sometimes have an anaphylactic reaction to honey bee stings.

I am now extremely allergic to beestings, so I'm glad to hear this about
these bees.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)