The role of leafcutter bees in agriculture

You’ve heard of honeybees, but have you ever heard of leafcutter bees? As their name implies, leafcutter bees use cut leaf fragments to construct their nest cells. They’re docile and have a mild sting compared to honeybees and wasps.

Across North America, leafcutter bees are commonly used to help pollinate alfalfa crops. In fact, the use of leafcutter bees increases alfalfa seed production by more than 50 percent. They can also pollinate crops like birdsfoot, trefoil, lowbush blueberries, and hybrid canola.

Leafcutter bees are better than honeybees at alfalfa pollination. Alfalfa flowers have a tripping mechanism that requires bees to press their heads against the petal to access the nectar and pollinate the crop. The North American honeybees have evolved to insert their tongues between the petals and access the nectar without tripping the flower, thus preventing pollination.

While native to northeastern Europe, leafcutter bees were introduced to North America in the 1930s. They were brought in to counter a drop in alfalfa seed production due to their unique pollinating method.