What Leafcutter Bees Do With Their Perfectly Shaped Leaf Circles

Leafcutter bees have sharp jaws resembling serrated knives, yet they are surprisingly docile. These hard-working bees are known for slicing through plant leaves, leaving signature holes in their wake. While this behavior might seem odd, it serves an incredible purpose. This video by plantbasednews shows just how intricate the process is for such a tiny insect.

Why Do Leafcutter Bees Need Leaves?

The biggest mystery surrounding leafcutter bees is why they need so many plant scraps. Unlike honey bees, leafcutter bees do not make honey or nest in hives. Instead of using nectar to make honey, they collect it to feed their larvae. Rather than living in hives, leafcutter bees create nests. These nests can be found anywhere from hollow plant stems to pieces of rotting wood. They can sometimes be found in the ground but prefer to use an existing cavity to lay their larvae.

Despite being a bee, these tiny insects are more akin to birds. After finding a suitable place for their nests, they harvest pieces of leaves from nearby plants. They cut through plant leaves with strong jaws, leaving behind circular-shaped cuts. These bees don’t take enough to hurt the plant, and their impact on its overall health is practically non-existent. After cutting what they need, the bees fly back to their nests and use the leaves to pad their nest.

They Like Some Plants More Than Others

Just as a butterfly bush attracts more butterflies than any other, leafcutter bees are also attracted to specific types of plants. These bees prefer some leaves over others for their nurseries. Thin, hairless leaves from bushes like roses and azaleas are perfect for their tiny jaws. With most of their preferred leaves also being flower bushes, leafcutter bees are also great pollinators.

They’re surprisingly beneficial to gardens and pollinate just as well as the honey bee. Even though they don’t produce honey, they are even more efficient at spreading pollen. As they collect it for their larvae, they unintentionally distribute it from flower to flower. One leafcutter bee can pollinate 20 times as many flowers as a honey bee! This is partially due to their fuzzy bellies holding more pollen than the average bee.

Leafcutter Bees Are Solitary Insects

A stark difference between a leafcutter and a honey bee is their lifestyles. Leafcutter bees lead a solitary life, rarely interacting with other bees the way a colony would in a hive. Their sole purpose is to pollinate, build nests, and reproduce. These bees have a relatively short life span, with females living for 60 days and males only living up to 14 days.

Leafcutter bees thrive almost anywhere flowers grow in abundance. You might find them nesting in holes in your deck, a tree, or other hollow cavity in your yard. Their nests are easily recognizable and typically have a leaf covering the “door” of the hole to protect the larvae within.