Ten Tenants

Ten tenants.

That's how many tenants are occupying our wooden bee block, aka "bee condo."

It's "home, sweet home" for leafcutting bees (Megachile spp.).

Daily we see these native bees tear holes in leaves (red bud, rose, catmint, gold coin, rock purslane and nectarine) and gather the fragments to line their nests.

Folks who grow prize-winning roses--the kind that win blue ribbons at county fairs and rose shows--aren't fond of these little critters, but we are.

Especially when we see two leafcutters at the bee condo at the same time...