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#1
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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) |
#2
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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. |
#3
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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) |
#4
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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) |
#5
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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) |
#6
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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 |
#7
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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) |
#8
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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. |
#9
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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) |
#10
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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 |
#11
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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) |
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