About Leafcutter Bees

• Leafcutter bees get their names from the holes they leave in plants around their homes.

• The pollinators use a set of strong mandibles (AKA, paired jaws) to cut out and collect quarter- to half-inch circular pieces of leaves.

• They then take these cut pieces and mix them with resin to line their nests and construct individual cells for their eggs.

• Leafcutters prefer to nest in soft rotting wood, drilled holes or stems. In winter months, they will hibernate in holes left by other insects, such as beetles, while they wait for the return of the growing season.

• The hard workers have a preference for flowers without thick or stiff petals for ease of leaf-cutting.

Information sourced from the Xerces Society at xerces.org and the Vermont Center for Ecostudies at vtecostudies.org.