A few extra neat facts about leafcutter bees:
- Leafcutter bees are solitary (not hive-based) and very gentle; males can’t sting, and females rarely do.
- They carry pollen on a fuzzy “pollen brush” on their belly (not on their legs like honeybees), which makes them excellent, efficient pollinators.
- Each nest is a hollow tube or tunnel lined with those leaf circles, divided into tiny rooms—one egg plus a pollen “lunchbox” per room.
- Most develop through summer and overwinter safely in their leafy cocoons, emerging the following warm season.
- The alfalfa leafcutter bee is famously good at “tripping” alfalfa flowers that honeybees often avoid, boosting seed set for farmers.
