Leafcutting bee
Megachile spp.
63 host plants
Last updated
Leafcutting bees create distinctive, precise semicircular cuts along the edges of leaves on ornamental plants and shade trees throughout Western Washington during late spring and summer. The bees use the cut leaf pieces to line their nesting tunnels; affected leaves show obvious, clean-edged cutouts that are unmistakable. The damage is entirely harmless to plants and indicates that native pollinators are active in your landscape.
No control is necessary or desirable for leafcutting bees since they are beneficial native pollinators that increase productivity. Appreciate their presence as a sign of a healthy, pollinator-friendly landscape. If leaf cutting is extreme on valuable ornamentals, provide alternative host plants like roses or shrubs. Leave nesting sites available such as dead wood or hollow stems.
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Cultural Controls
- Provide proper culture for plants.
- Healthy plants can easily tolerate some damage by leafcutting bees.
- Avoid use of pesticides which will harm these beneficial insects.