Leafcutter Bees

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Mason Bees

Leafcutter Bees

Wild Bees

Garden Prep

About

Leafcutter bees are perfect for mid-late season wildflowers, fruits, and garden vegetables.

Leafcutter bees are gentle, warm-season pollinators that thrive in mid to late summer when temperatures rise and blooms peak. Unlike honey bees, they are solitary cavity-nesting bees that pollinate nearly every flower they visit, making them exceptionally effective for tomatoes, peppers, squash, berries, herbs, and wildflowers.

These bees use small leaf pieces to line their nests, a natural behavior that protects developing larvae and supports healthy future generations. With a short but powerful 4 to 6 week active season, Leafcutter bees bring reliable, high efficiency pollination exactly when your garden needs it most.

CHARACTERISTICS AND IDENTIFICATION

Learn the common characteristics that the genus Megachile (Leafcutter bees) share to help you pick out the leafcutter bees from the other insect pollinators in your yard and garden.

LEAFCUTTER BEE LIFE CYCLE

Leafcutter bees are only active in your garden for about 4 to 6 weeks, beginning in summer and spending the rest of their lives inside their nesting chambers. This guide is a seasonal look at a year in the life of a Leafcutter bee!

LEAFCUTTER BEE RAISER CALENDAR

Leafcutter bees overwinter as dormant, mature larvae and emerge once daily summer temperatures are a consistent 75°F. This calendar breaks down leafcutter bee raising tasks by season to ensure this guide is helpful no matter where you live!

INCUBATING LEAFCUTTER BEES

Leafcutter bees need warm spring/summer temperatures to develop from larvae to adults. We call this process incubation. This guide walks you through the steps of incubating your own harvested leafcutter bee cocoons.

WHERE OUR LEAFCUTTER BEES COME FROM

We take great pride in providing you with healthy leafcutter bees to give both you and the bees the best chance for success! We source our alfalfa leafcutter cocoons from Saskatchewan, Canada, to reduce the incidences of parasites and diseases.

PICKING YOUR LEAFCUTTER SHIP DATE

Leafcutter bees overwinter as dormant, mature larvae ready to emerge when daytime temperatures reach a consistent 75°F and summer blooms are open. Use this guide to help you pick the best shipping date for your leafcutter bees.

LEAFCUTTER COCOONS BY MAIL INSTRUCTIONS

Use this guide to learn what to do once your Leafcutter bees arrive at your doorstep. We'll walk you through unboxing, storage, and next steps to keep your cocoons healthy until release."

BEFORE YOU RELEASE LEAFCUTTER BEES

Releasing Leafcutter bee cocoons means placing cocoons into your bee house so they can emerge and begin spring activities. Before you release your cocoons, you'll want to make sure your yard and garden are ready for these super summer pollinators!

PROVIDING LEAVES FOR LEAFCUTTER BEES

There's a reason we call them Leafcutter bees! Female Leafcutter bees build the walls of their nesting chambers out of cut leaves and flower petals to give each egg a safe place to develop into an adult bee.

FALL: REMOVE, PROTECT, STORE

Leafcutter bees hibernate as delicate larvae inside of their leafy cocoons over the fall and winter. In the fall, you can remove and store the hibernating bees in a safe space, away from hungry predators.

PARASITES AND DISEASES OF LEAFCUTTER BEES

Proper care can significantly reduce the incidences of pests, parasites, and diseases and allow managed bees to thrive. This article highlights the common enemies of Leafcutter bees by season and methods for their control.

HARVESTING LEAFCUTTER BEE COCOONS

Learn the importance of loose cocoon management, the best harvesting practices for our three different types of nesting materials (natural reeds, wood trays, and cardboard tubes), and how to store and incubate your Leafcutter bee cocoons.