I think I may have a leaf cutter bee in my front garden. Something is eating great big holes in the ivy growing on the front fence - some leaf stems now completely bare. It is a southwest facing wall which gets very warm when the sun shines and we have seen what I thought was a bumblebee flying around the front windows recently.. There are also lots of little black things like seeds on the ground. No sign of caterpillars or insects though. Would this be leafcutter bees ?
I doubt it's Leafcutter Bees, mine don't emerge till June, and they need delicate leaves like rose leaves for wrapping up their eggs together with food.
Thanks I will take some pictures and post later - have builders in this morning. I did wonder if it was leaf cutting ants but appears I would have to get up in the night to see them !
I am sorry but I don`t seem to be able to download photos my husband took of the ivy. I am getting invalid file messages from Radload. I altered the file extension from .docx to .bmp but that does not help. The file is too big (just over 6 MBP, over 4 MBP when compressed) but I am not certain how to reduce it. Is the free application REDUCE SIZE safe ? Maybe I could reduce it on his mobile and re-send it. I will try that.
Berghill.. you can't remember what types of plants you grew two years ago that would fetch you 400 quid?! AND had bees nesting in there. Seems to me most would remember something like that.
You've got me curious now.. especially with the evasiveness. My thoughts automatically brings to mind a certain plant that is now legal in two US states, and a European country or two..
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I think I may have a leaf cutter bee in my front garden. Something is eating great big holes in the ivy growing on the front fence - some leaf stems now completely bare. It is a southwest facing wall which gets very warm when the sun shines and we have seen what I thought was a bumblebee flying around the front windows recently.. There are also lots of little black things like seeds on the ground. No sign of caterpillars or insects though. Would this be leafcutter bees ?
Ivy Bees feed mainly on Ivy nectar and pollen. They are a type of plasterer bee, so build nest cells in sandy banks and loose cliff faces.
I doubt it's Leafcutter Bees, mine don't emerge till June, and they need delicate leaves like rose leaves for wrapping up their eggs together with food.
I don`t seem to be able to find out what is doing this. There is no sign of
snails or slugs around them at the moment.
Can you post a pic or two Froginhood? Click on the green tree icon on the toolbar above where you type your post and follow instructions.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks I will take some pictures and post later - have builders in this morning. I did wonder if it was leaf cutting ants but appears I would have to get up in the night to see them !
I am sorry but I don`t seem to be able to download photos my husband took of the ivy. I am getting invalid file messages from Radload. I altered the file extension from .docx to .bmp but that does not help. The file is too big (just over 6 MBP, over 4 MBP when compressed) but I am not certain how to reduce it. Is the free application REDUCE SIZE safe ? Maybe I could reduce it on his mobile and re-send it. I will try that.
Runnybeak. Not sure now what the seedlings were. Such a long time ago. The bee larva hatched and flew away in the spring. I do know that much.
Berghill.. you can't remember what types of plants you grew two years ago that would fetch you 400 quid?! AND had bees nesting in there. Seems to me most would remember something like that.
You've got me curious now.. especially with the evasiveness.
My thoughts automatically brings to mind a certain plant that is now legal in two US states, and a European country or two..
Certainly not, and not being evasive. I honestly cannot remember what they were or whether or not they survived.
At that sort of value I would guess they were Hepaticas, in which case they probably died.