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Leaf Cutting Bee

NewBoy2NewBoy2 BristolPosts: 1,380
in Wildlife gardening
I have 2 Bee Hotels...........very middle class I know.....and I have had the pleasure of watching a LCB arrive with a bit of leaf as long as him / her and then take it into the hole in the wooden block.

It flew off and 40 seconds later came back with another. The next trip took 160 seconds to come back and as it rested on the ledge I swear it said " Bloody hell this is hard work "

It was a joy and a privilege to be that close to intelligent animals.
Never change Tigers in Mid Stream

Posts

  • RubytooRubytoo On the sofa, Southerly aspect.Posts: 1,185
    That is lovely NewBoy2 they are a favourite of ours here too.
    One has cut many circles off our Daphne, could watch them all day :D
    I was saying how one stuffed a overflow pipe the other year, not sure about smart....:wink:
    Have a look at the insect of the day thread @Guernsey Donkey2 was just talking about them the other day and wants to know more.

    What is wrong with your bee hotels not five stars rated?
  • NewBoy2NewBoy2 BristolPosts: 1,380
    Wake up miss breakfast, sit in traffic, get chained to a computer, drive home in fumes , sit on couch,get fat, sleep

    Who has the better day......bees or humans. B)
    Never change Tigers in Mid Stream
  • HippophaeHippophae Posts: 146
    Nice! Having a bee hotel must be quite entertaining.

    I cut down a young laburbum sapling that was growing in an undesirable location. The leaves have these strange circular holes cut out of them. Are they likely to have been made by leafcutter bees? 


  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 1,354
    Yes, they were definitely produced by leaf-cutter bees.
  • RubytooRubytoo On the sofa, Southerly aspect.Posts: 1,185
    edited July 2019
    Yes lovely little leaf cutters as Alan said @Hippophae.

    We have a Daphne mezereum alba  that looks just like that at the moment :D
    NewBoy2 Can't you work from home? I wish you could you could take a few moments to watch your bees. :)
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,669
    This is what the leaf cutting bee does with the leaves @Hippophae they bung up the holes with the pieces of leaf after laying eggs - not necessarily in a hotel but in a rotten tree trunk or tiny gap in a wall perhaps.
  • NewBoy2NewBoy2 BristolPosts: 1,380



    How to make a simple bee hotel

    get 4 bits of wood about 12 " by 6" and about 1" thick

    get 2 bits of wood  4" x 4"  and make a shoe box shape without the lid

    Stand it up and screw it to a south facing post/shed/fence.

    Make the roof a bit bigger so it has an overhang to stop the rain dripping in

    Get some wooden blocks and  make 4 blocks  that will fit in the box going sideways

    Chose the biggest drill bit you have and drill holes in it about 2" apart and 4" deep but not all the way through

    Chose a slightly smaller drill bit and do the same to the next block.

    Leave a resting place at the bottom for when they arrive

    https://www.makesomethingedmonton.ca/projects/931-build-your-own-bee-hotel/

    This is just an example close to mine.

    "The World is Your Lobster " Hippophae  B)
    Never change Tigers in Mid Stream
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,669
    Well done @NewBoy2 for supplying the details to make a bee hotel.  As you can see this one was shop bought (a present) and it isn't weathering very well.  However we have since made a basic hotel using a lovely thick piece of wood, drilling holes for the bees and attaching it to a south facing wall.  If you are able @Hippophae I strongly advise you to make your own, or ask a friend to do it, save you plenty of money and I am sure the result will be far more robust than our little shop bought hotel here.
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