Now that's Amazing

Now to all who have grown roses for a while may have come across this phenomenon in person, however to those of us who haven't seen it, it is amazing.

Walking past one of our roses yesterday the wife says to me, have a look at that, there's a black be hovering around the roses. I replied, yeah right, it's a blow fly, don't you no the difference between a blow fly and a bee.

She said no, it's a bee, so at that exact time I turned around to witness a Leaf Cutter Bee, land on a leaf, then within about 5-6 seconds this bee has cut a precice half circle about 1/2 - 3/4 inch long. It then with a loud buzz took off with the peice of leaf, how cool was that we though, to be up so close within about 2 feet to watch this incredible bee in action and to witness how fast it did it's job.
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I must admit we get them here sometimes but not that often. It was only yesterday I went to a friends house and low and behold what do I see, they have one rose, a standard 'Double Delight', it had been attacked serverely

A couple of mine have been attacked severely as well, I saw the culprit in action for the first time recently it's amazing how fast they work.

Nothing worse is when they decide to decimate the leaves of the rose you are setting up to put on the show bench.......grrrrrrr......  

My roses look so sad with their leaves chewed off, if only there is some sort of deterrent like the stuff you can get to keep cats out of your garden that is nontoxic.

Have you "Mr Googled" all about the bee, there might be an organic approach, Happy.

Please spare the leaf cutter bees, they really are the good gals of the garden...

If my spoiled and petted and totally unnecessary roses can be put to use in service of the marvellous and essential bees, personally then I am thrilled. Take as many leaves as you need for your egg cradles, my little pollinating friends. You're always welcome in my garden.

No I wouldn't hurt them, I don't mind them taking leaves, just wish they would leave some for the poor rose...anyway the ones I find fascinating are the really little black and yellow striped (bees? I'm not sure what they are) that hover around the roses.

I think they are "hover flies" from memory, Happy.

My answer to all these bugs is a simple one...
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The cutting of the leaves  in neat little circles is by leaf cutter bees imo (extremely lucky to see that, please post pictures of them in action).. but they do not have yellow stripes, they have white stripes.. but the hovering being described, along with the yellow stripes, does sound like a hoverfly (see my picture).. these are useful insects too as their babies eat aphids.. so imo you have seen two wonderful insects at work.. note in my picture that the hoverfly is being nabbed for dinner by a spider


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Great shot!!!!

thank you! the shot was taken down in the Hunter as a matter of fact

What a vicious circle we live in, and I am only talking about the animal world.

"Nature, red in tooth and claw..."

That's an amazing photo! Thank you. Now I know what a hover fly looks like.