Leafcutter bees hibernate as delicate larvae inside their leafy cocoons. The development of leafcutter bees from larvae to adults is temperature-dependent. For this reason, we start the incubation process of summer leafcutter bee cocoons for you, so they arrive at your doorstep ready to emerge.
Leafcutter bees cannot be stored in the fridge like mason bees, so select your shipping date as close as possible to match your garden’s summer blooms. We recommend you chose your shipping date to align with the week your summer garden begins to bloom and gets consistent daytime temps of at least 75°F/24°C.
We know that predicting summer temps can be challenging, especially in the age of climate change. For this reason, we allow you to adjust your Bee Ship Date up to 7 days before your scheduled ship date by choosing CHANGE MY BEE SHIP DATE from the HELP CENTER page.
To help you estimate when temps will reach the mid-70s, try typing "average monthly temps YOUR CITY" in your web browser. The search will generate multiple sources for you to reference. Just remember, they are averages, and there is always a potential for abnormal weather, but it'll give you a good idea of when to have your bees shipped.
We highly recommend that you mark your calendar with your selected Monday bee ship date(s) after placing your order.
When can I place my leafcutter bee order?
Anytime!
When you purchase our leafcutter bees, our system will prompt you to choose a Monday bee ship date. These dates are confined to when the bees are ready to fly.
If you order one of our Complete Kits with Bees, the hard goods ship immediately after placing your order and the bees ship on your desired Monday bee ship date(s).
When do you ship leafcutter bee cocoons?
For the health of the bees, we only ship leafcutter bees on Mondays to ensure they do not get stuck in transit over the weekend.
Our leafcutter bee season runs from May - August.
How do you ship leafcutter bee cocoons?
All leafcutter bee cocoons ship FREE via FedEx 2Day shipping in the United States or via Canada Post in Canada.
We apologize, but at this time we can only ship to the United States and Canada.
Be sure to read our Leafcutter Bees by Mail Instructions before your bees arrive to learn what to do once your leafcutter bees arrive at your doorstep.
We average a 99% success rate in getting your bees to you safely. However, due to factors beyond our control during transit, extreme temperatures and shipping delays may affect your bees.
- Your bees may have emerged during transit! To check, put the entire package in the fridge for 15 minutes before opening. The cold temps calm the bees and allow you to open without the risk of the bees flying away. Release bees according to package instructions.
Important: Leafcutter bees cannot be stored in the fridge for long periods of time. Do not exceed 30 minutes in the fridge.
- If your bees have not emerged, just be patient. Bees will emerge within 1-10 days at ~80 °F. If temps are lower, bees will take longer to emerge.
- If your package arrives and your bees are DOA, please fill out an Online Support Ticket, and we will happily replace your bees!
Can I purchase products and leafcutter bees in the same order?
Of course! Our hard goods are available year-long and ship immediately after placing your order and the bees ship on your desired Monday bee ship date(s).