How to Raise Leafcutter Bees as Garden Pollinators || Black Gumbo
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- čas přidán 31. 03. 2021
- Easy bees! Here is a method you can use to insure your garden gets pollinated efficiently. Raise your own leafcutter bees! These solitary bees are easy to raise and are more efficient than honey bees at pollinating your garden. I'll show you how to use the Midas Bees products and look forward to seeing the bees get to work. From the Midas Bees website:
"Leafcutter bees are fascinating creatures with a docile demeanor. They are present in all lower 48 States and throughout Canada. Their life cycle coincides in a symbiotic relationship with the summer flowers they pollinate. They emerge from their cocoons in the early summer and mate. The remainder of the bee’s life is devoted to laying eggs and provisioning offspring for the coming winter. While going about the bee’s life purpose, she provides the crucial process known as flower pollination."
Midas Bees is offering 10% off any order if you use my discount code, BGG
www.midasbees.com
Tell Tom Black Gumbo Southern Gardening sent you!
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Black Gumbo shares our suburban, backyard, sustainable gardening efforts. We work a small-scale, typical Zone 9a garden and raised beds, the kind of gardening accessible to all. We tend to take the slice of life approach and hope you will enjoy our family, our dog, our cooking, our adventures, and occasionally some commentary and advice. We love family, joy and friendship, and we invite you to enjoy these things with us!
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I've had leafcutter bees on my apartment balcony for quite a few years now. I found them by accident. I have many videos of the bees, doing all of their work. I even have videos of them hatching, even extreme closeups. I store the bee cocoons in my fridge over the winter as I live in Ontario Canada, it can get very cold. Enjoy your bee's I love them and watch them for hours.
It's so cool to see the leaves after they've been cut. You're in for a fun time.
Love this, I popped a big hotel up in my garden and within a few weeks had a first 2 guests of 2 leaf cutter bees, made me so very happy 🐝🍃
I'm glad to hear that those cutter bees are beneficial. They usually tear up my rose foliage so at least they're good for something.
We have mason bees here in TN, I put a house with little tubes in and the bees move in. The bees know which tube belong to which bee, it's like a little apartment complex.
Beez in the box! Beez in the box....
Super interesting! I kept seeing bees on different flowers in my garden last year, so I bought 3 bee houses/hotels from local stores. They had a variety of hole sizes. Didn't notice any activity in them last year but still had a good number of bees on flowers in my yard. Last week I was looking at them again and saw several of the holes had had activity in them. I've planted more pollinator flowers this year so hopefully the bees will be happy with them. The more pollinators the better.
I know you just planted your blackberries and fruit trees, but in years to come bees will be all over the flowers. If you let bunching onions flower they are bee magnets.
Scott's beard game is always on point!
fascinating Love this
I love that your son takes an interest in gardening. Mine did not as they grew up but the older one must have been paying some attention because he is now, in his 30s, an avid backyard gardener. i have suggested your channel to him.
Just bought some of these for myself. Can't wait for them to arrive! I've sown some wildflowers in preparation and will go get some store bought flowers tomorrow. Thanks for showing us this, Scott! And also keep up updated as your bees wake up and go to work!
I have two I wish everyone would do this so important to do 🦋🦋🦋
Hello Scott. What a smart idea to introduce into everyone's garden area. I like that you can buy these towers, etc. and increase the number of pollinators. Be well.
I love Midas Bees. I didn't know all of that about them. I'll definitely be doing more business with them.. Great video!!
Just ordered mine!! So excited
Very interesting! I have a "home" garden here in Tucson, AZ. I really wanted to have a honey bee hive but stopped short of getting one going because of 2 things. 1. I'm very allergic to bee stings and 2. ALL hives here in AZ are Africanized. These little leafcutter bees look like they would be perfect for my garden! I have had little 1/2 moon size pieces taken out of my rose bushes and my apricot tree and wondered what caused that...now I know! Thank you.....great video and you solved my pollination problem! I did go to the Bee sellers website but it shows "sold out"....guess I'll have to wait a bit longer!
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝Very Cool! What a terrific project for teaching kids! 👏👏👍👍🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Will check it out. I hope here in Ca. Off the coast will be warm enough for them . Your son is growing up so fast🙏🏻🥰🐝
Hi Sam. It's good to see you in the garden again.
This is so cool! I wanted bees but didn’t want to have to deal with the hive. Thanks so much for introducing us to this company!!
Good to see Sam...getting tall...going to be a handsome man...thanks for the bee lesson, Scott 👍
I'm a Minimal lawn person. I mow as little as possible & try to spare the clover & dandelions because I believe this helps the pollinators? I don't have the energy for serious gardening but when my SIL gave me a Bee House I thought I would try raising bees...just for the sake of the Planet.
That’s cool! I have been doing the same thing for the last five years, I didn’t start with cocoons so it took a year or two to really get going, now come bee season we have clouds of them. They seem to fight over tubes as we have so many! I find it somehow relaxing to watch them at work, I can sit there for half an hour! They are very non aggressive to us! Ours just overwinter outside and emerge in spring. I don’t expect to see any for about a month up here though!
Take care
Klaus
Don't they tear up your trees and garden plants?
@@laualee1 They are cutting bits off leaves to pack between cells in the tubes, but any damage to plants is very minor! It’s different than a bug eating your leaves, they only take a little and in return they are pollinating the plants!
Klaus
Not here in the desert. We haven't had any rain yet and only what I water is growing. The trees in the desert have the wrong kind of leaves. These bees have totaled my baby corn even. Your neighborhood is also getting the same treatment. I wish I could repel them because the hive seems to have grown since they began this spring and the size of each B is now the size of a honey bee! Indeed they are fat and happy and I am lean for sadly I have no food.
@@laualee1 I’m sorry you are having that experience. Up here, they are part of the natural environment, it sounds like they don’t really belong in your neck of the woods and so are causing too much damage to your garden.
Love, love, love this!
Can't wait to see the update for this! I think it'll make a really great series to follow along with 😊👍
My improved Meyer lemon tree is blooming!
I was thinking about getting one of those! How is it working for you?
They look cool nice job👍
Fascinating bees. I watched in another video, you can designate a spot in your yard for alfalfa cover plants, they have nice flowers and their leaves just the right shape for the females to roll.
Absolutely fascinating little creatures.🤩
Very cool Scott! 👍
I picked mine up today...pretty excited 🙂
Last summer I spotted damage to leaves that looked like leaf cutter damage. I though we didn't have them here. I did some research and found out that indeed we do! I was so excited!
Watching thanks for sharing and nice easter holiday
I love Bees! Thank you for the wonderful video!
Fascinating. Thank you
almost
like he ladybug video but not quite-- great vid thank you.
I can't wait to see how this turns out. The only bees around my house are carpenter bees that are destroying my deck and house. I have to spray to keep them away. They just about made my deck floors hollow.
Are wearing a mic Scott? Lot of wind. Very cool bee house!! Hope it is fun and educational!
I usually try to get away with not wearing my mic but sometimes it backfires a bit. 🤨
Put a coat of linseed oil on. It takes forever to dry but once the bees start chewing they don't last long afterwards.
Kaye, you need to view my fig dividing video. Your comment here was mentioned... LOL. Having a little fun trying to get you more fans.
I just bought the tower house. Thanks for the great video! So excited :)
This is a great idea!
Sold me, I've been looking for a seller for years
Thank you for this video!
this is cool can't wait to see it.
I’ve got bees inside the block foundation in the garage. Not sure wat I’m going to do.
So fun! Even better they don't "like" to sting!
HI, great video! well done and inspirational. Subscribed to your channel and heading over to Midas website now. Thank you!
I got a midas kit last year. The first batch was doa, but they quickly replaced them and the second batch hatched out and at least some came back and nested. Unfortunately, a bird (woodpecker?) completely mauled the face of the nesting block. I don't know if they got them all, but it was a good try anyway. I think I found some of the nests in a woodpile nearby so it may not all be lost. Good product though.
Hi Scott! Robyn Hughes from UH graphics program!Wow just happened upon your channel! Great info. Hope you are doing well!
Hey Robin! Wow, glad to see you here. Things are well, hope the same for you too!
I have done the same thing with Mason bees, they don't sting and come out when the fruit trees start blooming. One bee treats one tube
Great video thanks for coupon code I just order this kit
Wow this is really interesting. Thanks for sharing. I would like to help the pollinators in my area too. I'll look into this.
I like this idea. How well do they over winter?
Ordered min today; Saw absolutely no bees in my garden last year. Hope to change that
I live in Australia and have leaf cutter bees nesting in my bee hotels but our Australian leaf cutter bees must do things the quick and easy way because they just seem lo shove the leaf over the opening of the hole with bits poking out.... no wrapped neat packages here 🤣
Will they make a Queen or does a Queen come with it or do they not need it
No, no queens, they are solitary bees, meaning they do not live in hives, no queen, they are all on their own. 1 bee works 1 tube.
On average, 33 percent of the emerging leafcutter bees are females. Unlike communal bees, such as honeybees, leafcutter bees are solitary bees. So, each female is a queen, is fertile and lays eggs.
@@ScottHead wow I had no idea that’s amazing
@@SeniorSnomad Iam definitely going to get a book about this it’s fascinating 🧐
Hi Scott. Any chance you can give an update on these little guys for 2023?
The update: They did not do well, only saw one or two of them. Now the tubes are homes for other creatures.
I am so glad u showed this! Ima Get me some free labor :-))! Beats having to hand pollinate! Do you think they’ll be okay with the Bt on the leaves so long as all that omri pest stuff is sprayed at night ?
BT might be harmful but likely not too much, but certainly don't use pyrethrin.
Excellent video, I just wish you had included video of them hatching. I live in middle Tennessee and plan to put out Mason bee boxes next spring and I would like to order some bees, I just don't know which kind I should order. Any suggestions? Do leaf cutters need a particular kind of leaf? Going to check out Midas Bees right now! Thanks for a great video!
Unfortunately, fire ants decimated most of the leaf cutter bees. I had some, but missed them hatching. They mostly worked on my grape leaves but I'm sure they will find what they need in any average garden.
Hi Scott- I’ve got a very small backyard garden and am planning on planting some cucumber seeds when the soil gets warm enough and will need to build a trellis. Are you going to have a video about how to do this any time soon. I’ll have some time before I have to install it but wanted to get it built- will only have about 6 plants so it doesn’t need to be over 4’ wide & 8’ tall. I’d appreciate any suggestions-Thanks! Love your channel 👍🏻!
Funny you mentioned it, I recorded trellis video literally yesterday but had no audio due to a goof on my part. So you'll have to watch my old one here: czcams.com/video/JFcW2VcZPeE/video.html
Is it necessary to put the nest in morning sun and afternoon shade?
how often you use buckets as seats? they make good seats
all the time in my garden
I had a local leaf cutter bee in my garden 10 years ago. It made a big mess of my new rose leaves. But I didn't mind, I thought it was fascinating. I don't mind those bees in my garden, but I'm in the UK.... anyone do that here?
Very interesting! Do you know if he has any classes or educational tools specifically for kids? I would love to teach my crew all about bees (especially my little girl who is absolutely terrified of any flying insect 😬).
Not sure if he offers classes but his website has some good info.
Hey Scott where did you get those clips for your cucs- those are neat I’d like to get some-do you think Lowe’s or Home Depot would have them?
I ordered them on Amazon, just search trellis clips. Here is one search return I would buy, might even be the same ones I bought:
smile.amazon.com/FANDAMEI-Plastic-Support-Cucumber-Diameter/dp/B089GKYCFV/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=trellis+clips&qid=1617473907&sr=8-8
question-un related- i accidently bought inground potting mix-cant return it - can i still use it in pots above ground indoors? and if i dont use it in 6 months will it still good?
In-ground garden soil? It is usually not preferred for pots, but if you mix in some peat moss or perlite or coco coir (all available at the store) you can probably get away with it. And yes, it keeps pretty much indefinitely.
Container squash or container tomatoes which needs the larger pot?
I'd say they both need 10+ gallons of soil to do best.
Question about this...I read on the Colorado State extension site about these guys that they can decimate a garden. Which kind of makes sense when you think about it if they are cutting holes in your plant leaves to build nests....Not sure if you have another video with an update after you did that, but I would love to know if it was indeed beneficial. :)
They don't take much from an established and healthy garden. My bees did well this year and did not impact my production.
@@ScottHead I just wanted to say thank you so much for replying! There are a lot of gardening channels that will never respond if you ask a question. You always do and I think that is awesome! I really enjoy watching your videos and have learned a lot.....oh, by the way, give Phoebe a pat on the head from me :)
I just got mine in! Trying to decide where to put them. It says have them face south but the fence I want to put them on faces east. They would get direct sun half the day, I wonder if that’s good enough considering I’m on the gulf coast and it’s HOT!
They said in my instructions anywhere facing between south and east would work. I have one on an east facing fence.
Anywhere from east to south works. If you only have sun half the day, east is best to get them going early in the morning.
what if I make 6 inch deep holes in a foam board and place paper tubes in those, will the bees nest in there?
All you can do is try. My bees seem to have left in pretty large numbers.
@@ScottHead oh...thanks
I am new to your channel. I noticed that you use cinder block around your beds. I have a bunch I want to use,but was told they leach poisons into the soil. Do you have any info on that?
No, they are concrete these days. They stopped making cinder blocks decades ago.
@@ScottHead thank you
How much for the whole set up Scott I am very interested in this bee thing
Not sure, it was free for me. As a collaboration video, I exchanged the set up for this video promoting him. Win for both of us and gets the word out to folks about these cool bees.
And all can you tell me how to get the whole set up for the bees
Yeah go to MidasBees.com, shoup and pricing are on his website. Use my discount code BGG for 10% off on an order.
@@ScottHead I got leaf cutter bees in the tubes I removed them very carefully its been 2 days since I did how long does it take for the bees to Hatch.
How to prevent ants attacking the bee colony?
I didn't find a solution.
Hello Scott. Do you have any advice for those of us fighting ants in our Texas gardens? I just started a garden on a new property, trying to keep it all organic, and the ants love my garden just as much as I do.
Look on CZcams for the guy whop uses orange oil to kill fire ants. I plan to try his method. I'll do a video of it when I get around to it.
Emma I’ve used boiling water with massive success. Just hit them 2-3 times with a kettle of boiling water and it cooks the entire colony and their eggs on contact. Just don’t use if they are living on one of your plants, for obvious reasons.
We’ve used apple cider vinegar with success. It kills the plant next to the colony but gets rid of the ants in the bed. I’m allergic to their venom so we use Amdro in the front yard.
how young is the future gardener?
He's just about a teenager and he's been gardening with me since 2016. My youngest son.
Scott, do these bees get along with regular honey bees? Can I have both?
I’m not sure but it seems they should do fine together
@@ScottHead Thank you Sir. Love your videos. Keep it up.
My garden gets both honey and leaf cutter bees. They don't seem to care about each other at all. The leaf cutter bees use the cracks in my block wall and the honey bees live elsewhere.
Leaf cutter bees and honeybees are totally compatible. Having both is beneficial because it presents pollination potential for a broader spectrum of flower types.
Your son,s voice is changing growing up too fast
Why do you want these leaf-cutter bees? They are totaling out my garden it's ruined
Please dont buy solitary bees on the internet. This is bad for the regional bee population