Bees in the garden

[Vanessa]

Hello - new bird here!

As requested by the lovely Mr. Oddie (you know which programme) I bought a bee box and stuff is happening! The wonderful little critters are doing their thing, but I am at a complete loss as to which type of bee I've invited in! They appear to seal the cane up with a piece of leaf at the end, after having done the business. Is it as simple as that and it means they are leaf cutting bees, because I have heard of them. Oh and by the way, they seem to have white bottoms. I live in Bedfordshire.

Very new to all this business and I blame Bill Oddie for getting me interested at middle-age!
All you knowledgable types - please be kind!



Thanks in advance.

V

[Jonny]

Hello Vanessa and welcome here...........I thought this thread was going to be "how to get rid of them", we have had some recently, but no you are encouraging bees, good on you. Enjoy the site, its a goodun.............Jon

[bendog]

I do hope someone has the answer as I have had 2 types of bee (I assume) "doing their stuff". The first sealed the ends of the canes with mud, the second is doing as yours are and sealing the ends with leaf pieces. The "mud sealers" were earlier in the year, the "leaf sealers" seem to be around now. The picture shows both finished products.

[Vanessa]

Originally Posted by bendog

I do hope someone has the answer as I have had 2 types of bee (I assume) "doing their stuff". The first sealed the ends of the canes with mud, the second is doing as yours are and sealing the ends with leaf pieces. The "mud sealers" were earlier in the year, the "leaf sealers" seem to be around now. The picture shows both finished products.

Clever little fellas aren't they?

I put the box up in late March, so perhaps I was too late for the mud types? Oh well, next year maybe!

They also take pieces of leaf into the hole with them as well! There is so much to-ing and fro-ing that a couple of times a bee has gone into a hole, seen another bee in there and reversed out! Excellent entertainment!

Just wish I know WHICH type of bee it was!

[Vanessa]

http://www.bluewisteria.co.uk/bluewi...cutterbee.html

Well after extensive research, it says:

"...Tunnels are first found or created in the soil or old brickwork etc. then a series of cells are constructed from neatly bitten off pieces of leaves. As each cell is completed, an egg is laid inside and the cell packed with food supplies for the resultant grub. Each cell is packed one on top of another until the tunnel is full, then a new tunnel is started".


...I think it is a leaf cutting bee colony that is developing! Good eh?

Pretty thrilled I have to say!

[eucera]

Keep up the bee-gardening - every little bit of help you can give them is valuable

Well.... depending on the tube sizes there are several candidates:
1) Small calibre tubes (6mm) are likely to attract nesting Osmia caerulescens (The blue mason-bee). These tend to use chewed leaf mastic to seal the cells.

3) Larger tubes may well attract various leaf-cutter bees Megachile sp. There are 2 common garden species: M. willughbiella (largeish) and M. centuncularis (smaller).

The mud sealed nests will be those of Osmia rufa - the red mason-bee

Stuart

[Vanessa]

Originally Posted by eucera

There are 2 common garden species: M. willughbiella (largeish) and M. centuncularis (smaller).

The mud sealed nests will be those of Osmia rufa - the red mason-bee

Stuart

Thanks so much Stuart! After 'Googling' M. willughbiella I saw a picture and that is definitely the ones we have. Very nice to know - (white bottoms and everything!!)

I planted foxgloves and hollyhocks earlier in the season as I had hoped that they would help the bees in someway, but now I think it is roses that they like - to cut up!

However, I do have a standard rose that I spray with 'multirose' to stop greenfly and keep disease free - do you think this would harm the bees in anyway? They haven't shown any interest in cutting it up, maybe it just tastes horrible? You see I do want to keep the bees now that I have them!

Thoughts would be gratefully received.

Thanks again.


V

[eucera]

Hi Vanessa

I am glad you are enjoying your bees so much - they are truly amazing insects. I would say that you most likely have Megachile willughbiella, but without microscopic examination, it is not possible to be 100% sure. Although M. willughbiella is the commonest of the larger leaf-cutters, there are a several other species which closely resemble it.

As far as leaf cutting goes, they have not sliced my roses this year, but have laid into my Tutsan plants with some gusto.

If you want to encourage bees in your garden - I would suggest planting Borage family (Boraginaceae) plants: Borage, Echium, Anchusa, Pulmonaria; Mint family (Lamiaceae): Stachys, Marrubium, Ballota... and any of the culinary or medicinal herbs of this family; also good are Campanula and Eryngium. Both the latter plants are heaving with small bees such as Chelostoma campanularum and several Hylaeus species.


Cheers, S