At 03:05 PM 7/20/98 +1200, you wrote:
 
>Lately a leaf cutter bee has been making its nests in various small
>pipes that I have around the house. Several times I attempted, with out
>success, to follow the bee to find out what kind of leaves that it has
>been using. However, I believe I found the answer. While pruning some of
>the trees in my compound I noted that the leaves of one of the rose
>bushes were missing pieces of appropriate shape.
 
Hi John,
 
One of the nasty little secrets that is seldom heard is that the "leaf
cutter" bee is a pest insect as it damages many home garden plants in
finding leaves for its nest. Roses are indeed a favorite, but in town they
will just about use anything that they can cut. If you make up some leaf
cutter boards or buy them you will, it sounds like, have not problem
starting your own leaf cutter village. For really pretty nest material
plant some old fashioned hollyhocks and you will have multi colored next
plugs.
 
Yes the little buggers not only cut your garden plant leaves but also will
plug up just about any size hole including wasp nests if they are short of
nesting sights. I have collected them by the pounds from between old hives
stacked outside, they will make their nests between hives or supers in
storage or the visor of your old truck if the windows are open.
 
BTW, they can sting or bite and you can feel it, but they are no way as
effective at it as our honey bees but in some rare cases a human reaction
could be had such as swelling. I don't know that from first hand
observation but I remember an old friend who was early in investigating the
value of these and other small bees who always used to say none of them
would sting until a group photo surfaced showing him and a small group of
fellow entomologists with knots all over their heads from messing with some
stingless bees at the wrong time. Anyway I have been stung many times by my
own leaf cutter bees and it did nothing for me or too me other then make me
wonder what their problem was. Mostly when they were nesting inside a hot
room (100+F) and I entered, blocking their flight and exit.
 
When ever these bees get any promotion in the papers I can count on at
least one call from some gardener wanting to get rid of them because of the
damage them do. I always respond that I would be happy to do that but they
are protected by law, if the US President Groper can lie why not me, anyway
that has worked for years around here and if you ask around you will be
told that these leaf cutter bees are protected by law..
 
>question would be what kind of pollen does it collect?.
 
Just about anything but I am sure they have preferences but I am also as
sure that when they can't find their preferences they are not that
particular. Look on its belly and see what color it is. But for a fact you
should be able to surf the net and find out everything you ever wanted to
know about these bees as they have been well studied for at least twenty
years or more.
 
ttul, the OLd Drone
http://beenet.com
 
 
 
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