Leaf - cutter bees

• Leafcutter bees are native bees, significant as pollinators.

• Leafcutter bees are not violent and contain a mild sting that is used only when they are handled.

• Leafcutter bees cut the leaves of plants. The cut leaf fragments are used to shape nest cells.

• Leafcutter bees nest in soft, rotted wood or in the stems of big, pithy plants, such as roses.

Leafcutter bees are significant native insects of the western United States. They use cut leaf fragments to build their nest cells. They often are necessary pollinators of wild plants. Some leafcutter bees are even semi domesticated to help create alfalfa seed. However, their habit of leaf cutting, as well as their nesting in soft wood or plant stems, frequently attracts attention and concern.