Female Leafcutter bee making nest

By: Michael Fox

Do you have mysterious circles appearing in the leaved of your rose bushes? I videoed one of the culprits making a nest in the cat’s scratching post.

Autumn is nest building time for our native Leafcutter Bees Megachile sp.

Unlike Stingless Native Bees Tetragonula sp. or European Honey Bees Apis mellifera, Leafcutter Bees are solitary: not forming colonies.

Mysterious circles in rose leaves.

Female Leafcutters roll the cut the pieces of leaf between their legs then fly off to find a suitable hollow to make their nest. The leaf pieces are shaped into a cigar shape ready to be packed with pollen and nectar ready for egg laying. The eggs hatch in spring ready to go to work pollinating our gardens and forests.

Make a Leafcutter Bee Home.