The lucerne leafcutting bee Megachile rotundata was introduced to New Zealand from North America by me beginning in 1971 for management as a specialist pollinator of lucerne flowers for production of seed. A specialist pollinating bee was needed because although honey bees readily visit lucerne flowers, they collect mainly nectar and avoid `tripping’ a spring-loaded reproductive column which can deliver a debilitating punch to the soft-bodied bees. Consequently the flowers are not pollinated. The short-tongued bumble bee Bombus terrestris which has a more resistant body will readily trip the flowers, but there are rarely sufficient bumble bees to pollinate most of the flowers. Female lucerne leafcutting bees are more strongly built than honey bees, and will trip more than 10 flowers a minute as they collect pollen (and nectar) for their larvae.

Lucerne leafcutting bees were imported as overwintering prepupae (the mature larval form in cells), and adult bees were hatched in quarantine so all foreign insect enemies could be removed. Consequently our bees are free of all the pests that reduce their numbers in other parts of the world. However, and unfortunately for us, one native parasitic insect which normally attacks tube-nesting mason wasps and sometimes tube-nesting native bees will also attack leafcutting bees, but it can be controlled by storing the bee nests in a fridge right after nesting ceases by about early April, until placement back in the field by about early November.

The introduced leafcutting bees thrived through the 1980s and where we had sufficient numbers on flowering lucerne, large increases in seed yield resulted. However the disestablishment of the old Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in mid 1992 caused the collapse of our project, and without scientific and management support the leafcutting bee population collapsed. Additionally, grapes for wine began to take over former lucerne seed crops, and seed began to be imported, so the demand for pollinating bees fell.

Several years ago interest in leafcutting bees (and other species of bees) began increasing again because of the threats facing honey bees, and so efforts are being made to increase the numbers of leafcutting bees for wide distribution. Leafcutting bees can be valuable pollinators of a range of flowers, and because the females are not aggressive and the bees can be easily managed, they can be readily utilized by home gardeners and owners of small holdings for interest and fun.

Barry Donovan

Donovan Scientific Insect Research

Canterbury Agriculture and Science Centre

Lincoln.

18 September 2014.

Creative Woodcraft is passionate about the future of bees in New Zealand and has teamed up with a pollination expert to offer Kiwi gardeners a chance to help.

With a heightened focus on the future protection of honey bees throughout New Zealand. Creative Woodcraft spokesman Ian Morton said the company were excited to be able to offer a proven solution to help gardeners encourage native bees and help them to pollinate in their own backyard.

“These nest boxes and solitary beehives help your fruit trees and gardens flower and provide comfortable homes to the Leafcutter Bees, Bumble Bees and Native Solitary Bees,” Mr Morton said.

The company has teamed up with world leading pollination expert Dr Barry Donovan, of Donovan Scientific Insect Research in Lincoln, who has more than 50 years experience in the industry.

Dr Donovan has endorsed the homegrown products of Creative Woodcraft (based in Timaru), saying the native bees are extremely efficient pollinators and an excellent supplement to honey bees, which in turn help supply food to the community.

Together, Mr Morton and Dr Donovan have come up with an initiative to supply exclusive bee cells to keen gardeners willing to help grow the native bee population throughout the country.

“We have designed solitary bee hives and nesting boxes that will help to encourage our native bees to nest in these sites,” Mr Morton said.

“Dr Donovan has said he is confident with the introduction of the bee cells and a growth in population will occur and in turn positively benefit the number of pollinators out there.”

The solitary hives have been designed in a variety of hole diameters, suitable for hosting up to six species of bees and three further species of wasps.

Mr Morton added the bees were safe around both children and pets and simply served their purpose as key pollinators, while enjoying their comfortable nesting site.

New Zealand’s native insect pollinators of flowering plants such as native bees and hoverflies are not susceptible to varroa mite, they are solitary and do not produce commercial quantities of honey.

For more information, visit and register www.creativewoodcraft.co.nz to download a free and informative E-Book to learn further about the benefits of these nesting products.