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leaf cutter bees

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  • Big Blue SkyBig Blue Sky Posts: 716

     Oh, I'm so envious! My little bug hotel has never been occupied, and I'd love to have bees living there. The pictures at the beginning are fascinating. What is the location of this bee hotel - I mean, is it south facing or in the shade, or what works best?

    Any advise welcome, as I love bees and specially bumblebees (even tried to build an underground hole for bumblebees - didn't work, was taken by huge flies and had to go).

    Surrey
  • Valley GardenerValley Gardener Posts: 2,851
    Big blue sky they seem to go anywhere,I've just seen one taking her leaf to a small hole under a step! I've never seen them till this summer,but I do seem to have a lot of bees and butterflies,I think it's because mine is the only proper garden in the street for them to come to. The rest are decked,gravelled, one has his entire garage taking up the garden! What chance do wildlife have??
    The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
  • Big Blue SkyBig Blue Sky Posts: 716

     That gives me hope Valley Gardener. Most neighbours here have real gardens (unfortunately mine being the smallest one :(  ) so hopefully they will move into my little bee hotel. Just hope it is in the right position for them (i.e. not too hot and not too shady) .

    Surrey
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I have five holes plugged in my bee resort (penthouse view - drilled wood on top of my shed). I think the log holes are plugged with mud. They seem sealed but I have no idea how long they have been plugged, even if they are from last year. I guess I could mark the holes and check in the autumn. I'm interested because I don't know if anything has successfully nested in various structures all over the garden over the last five years.
  • blameitonthedogblameitonthedog Posts: 122
    edited July 2018
    How fascinating.  Such perfect cuts, they could have been made with a hole punch!

    Can I be cheeky and ask a question about 'my' bees?  They are buff or white tailed (cannot tell) and appear to be nesting(?) underground; there aren't dozens of them, but a fairly constant in/out, one at a time, all day long into a small soil crevice where the bottom of a fence meets the edge of our patio.. can't really see anything as it's smothered in ivy.  Are they actually nesting?  
  • Valley GardenerValley Gardener Posts: 2,851
    That'll be an interesting project,I'd like to know the outcome Fire. So far I've seen a pile of them in the wall,but the step is too low to look under.I provided shade for the wall ones,with big leaves,when do they hatch?  Must read up on them!
    The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
  • donutsmrsdonutsmrs Posts: 487
    My bug boxes are also full. I have stood for ages watching the leaf cutter bees buzzing in and out. The question I have is, I am moving in next couple of months and I need to know if I can move the bug boxes with me to the new house. I just thought that who ever moves in may just take them down and throw them away and I would hate that.

  • IamweedyIamweedy Posts: 1,364
    I have just "borrowed" a picture of the damage made by a leaf cutter bee .
    I now know what they look like. Leaf cutter bee damage on false acacia




    'You must have some bread with it me duck!'

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Isn’t it beautiful?
  • ChrisWMChrisWM Posts: 214
    I couldn’t agree more. Witnessing garden wildlife in action frequently distracts me from gardening, but to me, it’s all one and the same thing. 
    If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. Cicero
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