Topic: Help - burrowing bees in my chillies!

[Squash64]

I could hear this loud buzzing in the greenhouse and all of a sudden, this bee/wasp landed on the soil of a chilli plant and promptly made its way down a hole between the soil and pot.  Then I looked at another pot and the soil started moving as something made its way to the surface.

I was going to pot the plants on to bigger pots today but now I'm a bit nervous of disturbing whatever is going on under the surface.

Help!

[irnhed]

Cool   :)

If it's underground, I think you can rule out honey-bees and wasps.  They're the ones most likely to sting you as they have stores to protect.

Although, I don't know a lot about wasps.  Are there burrowing varieties?  Wasps are very thin compared to bees, and have brighter yellow colours.

If it's bumble-bees, you'll recognise them as being very 'fat', black and hairy.  They're also very noisy when they fly.

I think that's unlikely, unless they're in a very big pot.  They can make a nest up to about the size & shape of a rugby ball if the queen is laying well, and they have the necessary resources.

If it's smaller, it'll be a type of solitary bee, like a leaf cutter, a mason, or something like that (don't know much about them).

If you're interested, watch for a while to see if it's either a single bee going back and forth, or whether you have a number coming out in a few minutes. 

In terms of potting on, it wouldn't be good for the bees.  Most hate any disturbance, and lifting the plant out wholesale would certainly qualify as disturbance.

If you wanted to take a chance on potting on and trying not to disturb the bees too much, I'd suggest getting the pot ready right next to it, partially fill with compost, pick up the plant and attached soil and swiftly (and carefully) transfer across.  You may then want to step away and wait for the all clear if any of them take to the air for a few minutes before you fill the sides of the pot.

I'm surprised they (or it) are in a pot, as I thought they'd hate it when you watered...

If leaving it alone is an option, if you can leave it 'til the autumn, the bees will die away leaving eggs (if they're solitary) or having a queen move out and hibernate (if they're bumbles) and you can pot on then.

If possible, a photo would be great  :)

[Squash64]

Thanks for your reply irnhed.

I think it is just one bee in each of the pots.  One of the pots is quite small, the other a bit bigger. 

The soil in the pots had dried out a lot yesterday and today so maybe they hadn't been there long as I'm sure watering would have disturbed them.

A few minutes ago I went to look at them in the greenhouse and missed the chance of a photo as the bee quickly went down the hole.  Maybe it's gone to bed for the night  ;) so I'll have another try in the morning.

Luckily (for the bees) they have chosen varieties of chilli which I have more of in the greenhouses at the allotments so I will just leave them alone.

Thanks again for your reply, it's very helpful.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Both solitary bees and wassps are pretty useful creatures, so leave them alone.

[nilly71]

I had the same in my pepperdew's, they are in a 3" pot and very dry.
I noticed a hole next to the plant and then a bee coming out carrying a bit of stone. It was coming and going quite happly until i filled up tray the plant was standing in with water. It's not been back since :-\

Neil

[Squash64]

I've just seen a bee go down the hole carrying a piece of leaf.  Much too quick for me to get a photo.

[irnhed]

Fabulous.

Sounds like a leaf-cutter bee then.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Except they nest in holes not burrows. It's either a mining bee or a solitary wasp.

[Squash64]

Except they nest in holes not burrows. It's either a mining bee or a solitary wasp.

It went into a hole in the compost Robert, so could it be a leaf-cutter bee?

[Robert_Brenchley]

They go for things like hollow stems and holes in wood. A leafcutter bee digging a hole would be strange. I've just come across a record of one doing so in a pot with a cactus though, so it's possible. The other possibility is a digger wasp. I've a feeling some of them may use leaves to separate the cells, but my only relevant book is antiquated and doesn't deal with what happens underground at all.

[vegwise]

Hi Squash64

I would leave them alone if possible.

If you don't need the plants cut them down and let them have there nest, over winter it, frost free, and see if they hatch out nest spring.

A photo would be good if possible.

Vegwise.

[Squash64]

Thanks for the replies.

I will be leaving the pot in the greenhouse alone. Luckily I have more of the same variety of chilli at the allotment.

I doubt very much that I will be able to get a photo - the bee/wasp is so fast once it emerges from the hole, and when it returns it goes straight in without even seeming to land on the soil.

Thanks for your interest folks.
 :)

[nilly71]

This is the picture i took the other day while the soil was dry.


You can just about see the bee/wasp at the base of the left hand plant


Neil

[Robert_Brenchley]

The illustartions in my hymenoptera book, which is rather antiquated, are terrible. That does look very much like a leafcutter bee though. A very strange place for one to nest!

[nilly71]

I think you are correct.
I had a look inside the hole yesterday and could see a bright green leaf under the roots of the pepperdew.
I have some holes cut out of one of the pumpkin plants, so it could be from there.

Neil

[Joolieeee]

definately a leaf cutter bee - we've had a visit several years running, and no damage to the roots or any impact on the fruit.
The bee lays it's egg, lines the tunnel with leaves, and then when the egg hatches, the bee eats the leaves until it reaches the outside world and then flies away, leaving you with no damage!

We carried on watering as normal, don't think we drowned anything!

Joolieeee

[Squash64]

That's good to know Joolieeee.
I've been careful to water away from the hole and all seems well so far.  I would hate to drown it!

[Chrispy]

I have had at least 3 of these a couple of weeks ago.

I saw 2, each digging a hole in the corner of a pot, lifting out clumps of compost and dropping it nearby.

One was in a spare plant I did not need, so I let it be, and I have left it undisturbed since.
The other was something I wanted, so when the bee flew out of the greenhouse I moved the pot.
The bee soon returned, carrying a piece of leaf, it then spent a while buzzing around looking to where his hole had gone.

The third was in another pot, but it was already complete and I did not notice it until I was planting out.
In the compost about 2/3s the way down was a small tube, about 1cm long and 1/2 cm diameter made out of leaves.
Unfortunately, due to my curiosity, the nest did not survive.

I now carefully check my pots before planting anything out, but have not come across any more yet.

[Jayb]

I had several of these busying around about 3 weeks ago. Saw them carrying bits of leaves back and fore and they seem to have a really loud buzz. They have placed some leaves in holes in pots outside and some in pots in the greenhouse. They seemed inquisitive sorts and came and checked me out each time I entered the greenhouse, not sure if they saw me as a threat or what? Its been amazing to watch them though  :)

[Vinlander]

Unfortunately I disturbed one the other day while potting on a citrus - about 2cm below the surface of the pot was a sort of 'cigar' made from neat round bits of leaf.

I tried to reposition it in the new pot - hope it is OK.

Incidentally I found the open end of the cigar was slightly downhill of the round end - so sensible watering shouldn't bother them unless you've failed to use a good free-draining mix.

Cheers.