Solitary bees in our own backyards?

What’s that green bee flying past? my wife asked

We were enjoying a coffee on the patio and sure enough a few minutes later a bee carrying a rolled up leaf rolled between its legs landed nearby. I had never seen a leafcutter bee before and I had certainly never heard of solitary bees that don’t live in hives.

Since that  day www.creativewoodcraft.co.nz has been involved with educating and encouraging solitary bees in our own backyards!

As the name suggests, the female leafcutter bee cuts neat circles or ovals out of soft leaves such as roses. Rolling the leaf between her legs she then flies to a hole where she makes a craddle for her eggs. She stocks the cradle with small amounts of honey and pollen for the hatching lava. Once the nest is complete, the leafcutter bee looks for a new hole and starts a new nest.

These fasinating bees are tiny 4mm about half the size of a common house fly. The leafcutter bee does not defend her nest, so children can safely stand near a solitary bee house and observe the bees returning to their nests carrying leaf pieces and also large balls of orange pollen on their legs.

If your interested in beekeeping consider buying a solitary bee hive and a starter set of leafcutter bee cells from www.creativewoodcraft.co.nz

 

 

Encouraging the leafcutter bee and other solitary bees are fascinating to observe and play a vital role in pollinating our home gardens, fruit trees and vegetable gardens!

Please encourage and welcome these important pollinators to your backyard.

Order your solitary bee house and leafcutter bee cells today and have your pollinators ready for the warmer weather.

Creative Woodcraft is New Zealand’s only supplier of leafcutter bee cells to the home gardener.