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Leafcutter Bees - Megachile species
 
Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State
University, www.ipmimages.org
 HOSTS: Rose family plants, ash trees and a wide variety of
plants.
DESCRIPTION:
Adult
leafcutter bees resemble dark, robust honeybees.
LIFE
CYCLE:
Leafcutter bees are solitary bees. The female cuts leaf disks to create
individual thimble shaped rearing cells packed with pollen.
CONTROLS:
There is no
legal control of the bees since they are important pollinators and thus
protected. However, hot pepper wax reduced feeding in one grasshopper
study and may help to repel leafcutter bees if sprayed several times
during their active period.
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