Leafcutter Bee
Solitary native bees that cut neat circular sections from leaves to line their nest cells. Important pollinators of legumes, berries, and wildflowers through summer.
Why you want them
Leafcutter bees are efficient pollinators that are active through the summer months when mason bees have finished their season. They are particularly valuable for legumes, beans, and soft fruits. The neat leaf circles they cut from roses and other plants cause no lasting harm - the plant closes the wound within days. Supporting them alongside mason bees extends pollination coverage across a much wider season.
How to attract them
- Runner bean
- Broad bean
- Raspberry
- Blackcurrant
- Phacelia
- Wild rose
- Knapweed
Preferred habitat
Hollow stems, bee hotels, and pre-existing cavities in wood and soft mortar. They prefer tubes about 1/4 inch in diameter and line each cell with sections of leaf.
What harms them
Pesticide use, loss of nesting cavities, removal of suitable leaf plants for nest lining, and tidy gardening that eliminates hollow stems over winter.
Garden, by Willowbottom works with nature, not against it. Support your garden allies and they will do most of the hard work for you.