Leafcutter bees can be both a blessing and a nuisance in the garden. While they play an important role as pollinators, their nest-building and leaf-cutting habits can damage plants. If you want to deter these bees without harming them, natural repellents are the ideal solution. In this article, we’ll explore various natural options for keeping leafcutter bees away from your prized flowers and foliage.
Understanding Leafcutter Bee Behavior
Leafcutter bees, from the Megachile genus, are solitary bees that nest in pre-existing holes and cavities, like hollow plant stems or holes in wood. Unlike social bees, leafcutters don’t live in colonies.
These bees get their name from their habit of cutting circular holes in leaves to build their nests. The female bees carry pollen on their abdomens and use the leaf pieces to create brood cells for their eggs. While the leaf-cutting doesn’t directly damage the plant it can leave plants looking unsightly with many holes in the leaves.
Leafcutter bees are not aggressive and normally shy away from humans. But they can sting if threatened or handled roughly. Their main interest is gathering nectar and pollen from flowers. Some favorite food sources include roses, sunflowers, marigolds, and fruit trees.
Natural Repellents That Deter Bees
Here are some of the top natural repellent options for keeping leafcutter bees away
Essential Oils
Essential oils like peppermint, citronella, eucalyptus, tea tree, and lemongrass have strong scents that confuse and repel bees. Dilute a few drops of oil in water and spray around potential nesting sites or spray lightly on plant leaves and flowers. Reapply after rain.
Plants
Certain plants naturally repel bees with their strong fragrances. Planting marigolds, basil, wormwood, or garlic around your garden can create a protective barrier. Crushing leaves of these plants releases more aroma too.
Diatomaceous Earth
This powder made from crushed fossils has microscopic sharp edges that deter many insects and bees. Lightly dust diatomaceous earth on soil surrounding vulnerable plants. Avoid getting it directly on flower petals.
Bee-Safe Netting
Row covers and netting with hole sizes smaller than bees physically block their access to plants while allowing airflow and light. Drape netting over plants or build small net tents to protect seedlings.
Neem Oil
Extracted from the neem tree, this botanical oil repels and disorients bees. Mix a few drops of neem oil with water and a mild soap and spray on plants. It helps disrupt the bees’ hormones and development.
Kaolin Clay
This fine white clay powder can be sprayed on plant leaves. It acts as a protective barrier and repels many pests. Apply kaolin clay early in the mornings when bees are less active. Rains will wash it away so reapplication is needed.
Aluminum Foil
The reflective surface of aluminum foil confuses bees and deters them from landing. Wrap strips of foil loosely around plant stems or drape sheets over pots and garden beds. The crinkling sound of foil also scares bees away.
Tips for Deterring Bees in Your Garden
Aside from using repellents, here are some useful tips for making your garden less inviting for leafcutter bees:
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Avoid overwatering plants since damp conditions attract bees looking to build nests.
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Prune away old branches, stems, and wood piles where bees like to nest.
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Clean up fallen leaves frequently since leaf litter provides nesting material.
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Plant early or late in the season to avoid peak bee activity in mid-summer.
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Choose plants like basil, garlic, onions, and marigolds which naturally repel bees.
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Put up physical barriers like netting tents or row covers to keep bees off plants.
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Use yellow, white, or blue colored mulch. Bees don’t like resting on bright surfaces.
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Limit flower plantings which provide nectar and pollen food sources that attract bees.
When to Seek Professional Help
While natural repellents are ideal for deterring limited bee activity, it’s best to contact a pest management professional if you have a major infestation causing excessive damage. Treatment methods may include:
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Applying registered synthetic insecticides directly into nests.
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Knocking down nests off eaves or walls if they pose a hazard.
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Placing nesting boxes around the property to provide alternative nesting sites and redirect bees away from the home.
An expert can assess the extent of the issue and determine the safest solutions for your situation.
Leafcutter bees are important pollinators that generally do minimal harm in gardens. But when their leaf-cutting and nesting gets excessive, natural repellents present a safe option for discouraging them without poisoning beneficial bees. Test different remedies to see which ones are most effective for your specific garden setup and bee population. With some strategic plants and barriers, you can reach a good balance with nature’s little pollinators.
But First, a Little About Bees
Pollinators, like bees, are essential to our very existence. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), “cross-pollination helps at least 30% of the world’s crops and 90% of our wild plants to thrive. Without bees to spread seeds, many plants — including food crops — would die off.”
Since I live in California’s Central Valley, I think we know more than most about how important bees are for pollination. Every year, California almond growers import honey bees from other states to pollinate their $2. 3-billion-a-year crop.
Look at Your Surroundings
If swarms of bees or wasps are always show up at your backyard barbecues, you might want to look at your landscaping. If your flowers and plants have sweet smells that bees like, you might want to change where and what you plant in your yard.
I was thrilled to speak with beekeeping experts Juli and Bob Morlock from Morlock Honey Farms in North Dakota. During almond pollination season, their honey bees travel to the Central Valley to pollinate almonds. They (the bees and the Morlocks) winter in Texas and then head back to North Dakota to spin out their honey. They help to make that state the number-one honey-producing state in the nation. In 2014, North Dakota bees produced more than 42 million pounds of honey, valued at over $84 million, according to the North Dakota State Government.
Juli gave them a professional tip that keeps bees, yellow jackets, and wasps away from their outdoor dining. First, she wanted to make it clear that bees and other pollinators usually don’t come to food that people eat until the flowering season of their favorite food source is over, which is usually in the fall. She says to put ketchup on a plate close enough to your event so that pollinators will be drawn to it. The ketchup, which is mostly corn syrup, makes it easy for them to eat and takes their attention away from your food.
How to Get Rid of Leafcutter Bees
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