The Gentle Bees

Although honeybees and bumble bees tend to get most of the attention, there are more than 20,000 species of bees in the United States. Among those numbers are several species that are gentler than honeybees, including Mason and Leafcutter bees. Both species are highly effective pollinators and help gardens thrive and ecosystems balance. Beekeepers learn quickly that keeping honeybees can be expensive, and when hives are lost, it can be a devastating financial hit. Instead of abandoning beekeeping altogether, some beekeepers opt for other species that are easier to keep, such as mason and leafcutter bees.

Skip the Suit

Mason bees are solitary and nest in holes, and they are also gentle. Beekeepers raising them rarely wear suits because they aren't necessary. Spring is when mason bees are most active. They nest in holes and are solitary. Leafcutter bees are smaller and gentler than mason bees. Leafcutter bees have green eyes and orange hair on their faces that gives them an adoring appearance.

Helping Gardens Grow

Leafcutter bees are well-known to help gardens grow, and their pollination improves fruit production. Farmers growing tomatoes, peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots want leafcutter bees around and are welcome in community gardens nationwide. Some gardens with leafcutter bees often experience abundant food production and may even have too much in many seasons! Leafcutter bees are effective pollinators because of the hair they have on their bodies that carries pollen while keeping it dry. As the pollen loosens, it becomes easier to exchange it at other stops since it's no longer stuck to the back of their legs. These bees use different landscapes than honeybees, and they work alone and don't travel far to get what they need. Their pollination efforts keep the pollen localized and saturated. Leafcutter bees successfully cross-pollinate because they are solitary and wander from flower to flower, essentially unnoticed. The local focus of leafcutter bees keeps pesticides and chemicals away from local gardens and farms because they don't travel far enough to bring back any of the bad stuff. Other bee species travel significantly further distances and risk getting back something unwanted to smaller gardens.

Beekeeping Leafcutter Bees

Beekeepers who keep leafcutter bees find it is much easier and less expensive than keeping honeybees, primarily because leafcutter bees use holes and cocoons due to their solitary nature. The seasonal raising of leafcutter bees is more successful during weather that is warmer. If there are plenty of flowers around, leafcutter bees are a self-sustaining species. Females may visit thousands of blooms in one day! The mother leafcutter bee will make cocoons for her babies. Plants like peas, strawberries, buckwheat, and beans near their homes allow the leafcutter to do just that – cut little pieces off the leaves in semi-circular shapes. These little leaf bites are taken back to their home and mixed with bits of beautiful, colored petals, making their homes aesthetic and interesting to see.

One of the big questions beekeepers ask is if leafcutter bees and honeybees can be raised together. It is thought that raising more than one species of bee makes them all better pollinators, and bee species will not harm each other if they live in proximity to one another. Different bee species can co-exist harmoniously!