Hi,

Could you please advise if the leaf cutter ant could live in the UK. I have
busy lizzies, petunia's, fuchia's which all have mouth shaped bits missing
from the leaves. Or if not, any thoughts on what thias coule be.

If it is relevant I am in Northern England where it has been very wet of
late.

MTIA
Linda

Leaf cutter bees flourish in the UK and I guess they'll be making their
nests about now.
We used to get them in Durham and like other bees they should be active in
spite of the weather.
Regards
David T.
"stevej" <nopam [at] nospam.net> wrote in message
news:nNCdnbnyHr2PmerZRVnygQ [at] pipex.net...
> Hi,
>
> Could you please advise if the leaf cutter ant could live in the UK. I
> have
> busy lizzies, petunia's, fuchia's which all have mouth shaped bits missing
> from the leaves. Or if not, any thoughts on what thias coule be.
>
> If it is relevant I am in Northern England where it has been very wet of
> late.
>
> MTIA
> Linda
>
>
>

Thanks David, any idea's of a solution to get rid ?

Thanks
Linda


"david taylor" <davidtaylor1 [at] onetel.com> wrote in message
news:44770738 [at] 212.67.96.135...
> Leaf cutter bees flourish in the UK and I guess they'll be making their
> nests about now.
> We used to get them in Durham and like other bees they should be active in
> spite of the weather.
> Regards
> David T.
> "stevej" <nopam [at] nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:nNCdnbnyHr2PmerZRVnygQ [at] pipex.net...
>> Hi,
>>
>> Could you please advise if the leaf cutter ant could live in the UK. I
>> have
>> busy lizzies, petunia's, fuchia's which all have mouth shaped bits
>> missing
>> from the leaves. Or if not, any thoughts on what thias coule be.
>>
>> If it is relevant I am in Northern England where it has been very wet of
>> late.
>>
>> MTIA
>> Linda
>>
>>
>>
>
>

Hi Linda,

> Could you please advise if the leaf cutter ant could live in the UK. I have
> busy lizzies, petunia's, fuchia's which all have mouth shaped bits missing
> from the leaves. Or if not, any thoughts on what thias coule be.

Leaf cutter bee?
http://www.insectpix.net/Leafcutter_bees.htm
http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=leaf%20cutter% 20bee%20uk&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wi


I get the holes in the leaves of my lone Peace Rose, haven't noticed on
other plants, but no petunias or fuschias, and single busy lizzie hasn't
been attacked, but only here about 2 weeks so far. Actually no holes in
rose leaves yet, remember from previous years.

Haven't got a photo or would stick online for you to see. Maybe someone
else here has one?

All the best from sunnyish South Liverpool,

Maggie

"stevej" <nopam [at] nospam.net> wrote in message
news:nNCdnbnyHr2PmerZRVnygQ [at] pipex.net...
> Hi,
>
> Could you please advise if the leaf cutter ant could live in the UK. I
> have
> busy lizzies, petunia's, fuchia's which all have mouth shaped bits missing
> from the leaves. Or if not, any thoughts on what thias coule be.
>
> If it is relevant I am in Northern England where it has been very wet of
> late.
>
> MTIA
> Linda
>
>
I don't think they live over here (yet).
I would be more inclined to blame Vine weevil.

Hi Linda,

> Thanks David, any idea's of a solution to get rid ?

Why would you want to do that? Bees are the gardener's friend, and
bumble bees are endangered species and rare in many parts of UK. Be
happy you have them!

Maggie

In message <44770738 [at] 212.67.96.135>, david taylor
<davidtaylor1 [at] onetel.com> wrote
>Leaf cutter bees flourish in the UK and I guess they'll be making their
>nests about now.
>We used to get them in Durham and like other bees they should be active in
>spite of the weather.

My bee nesting tubes are being well used at present and it is the bees
that use cut leaves to seal the tubes that are active now. (S.E.Essex)

See details on Blue Mason Bee

http://www.hedging.co.uk/acatalog/Mason_Bees.html



--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

"stevej" <nopam [at] nospam.net> wrote in message
news:nNCdnbnyHr2PmerZRVnygQ [at] pipex.net...
> Hi,
>
> Could you please advise if the leaf cutter ant could live in the UK.
> I have
> busy lizzies, petunia's, fuchia's which all have mouth shaped bits
> missing
> from the leaves. Or if not, any thoughts on what thias coule be.
>
> If it is relevant I am in Northern England where it has been very
> wet of
> late.
Almost certainly adult Vine Weevil - the plants you list are frequent
victims.
Chemical solution - Provado Vine Weevil Killer
Bio-control - Nemasys ( A product containing parasitic nematodes that
attack the larvae)
The leaf damage by adults is trivial, root damage by larvae is
devastating. Look out for collapsing plants with white maggots up to
about 12mm long in the compost where the roots used to be.
The adult is a dark dull grey slow moving weevil about 10mm long.
Loads of images available if you Google for them.

--
Rod

My real address is rodtheweedygardeneratmyweedyisp
Just remove the weedy bits
and transplant the appropriate symbol at.

"stevej" <nopam [at] nospam.net> wrote in message
news:hdydnfwumv3plerZRVnygg [at] pipex.net...
> Thanks David, any idea's of a solution to get rid ?
>
> Thanks
> Linda
>
No need, once they have made the nests the damage will stop, mind the damage
is not caused by Vine Weevil, the adults also eat notches in leaves while
the grubs kill the plants by eating all the roots. you can get a water in
insecticide to kill those

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

On Fri, 26 May 2006 14:35:08 +0100, "stevej" <nopam [at] nospam.net> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>Could you please advise if the leaf cutter ant could live in the UK. I have
>busy lizzies, petunia's, fuchia's which all have mouth shaped bits missing
>from the leaves. Or if not, any thoughts on what thias coule be.
>
>If it is relevant I am in Northern England where it has been very wet of
>late.
>
>MTIA
>Linda
>
>
Last year, I noticed leaf-cutter bees bringing leaf segments into the
greenhouse and disappearing up through the drainage holes of pots of
succulents that I had in there. This year, on knocking out the pots,
in each one I found about half-a-dozen little brown tubes looking just
like tiny cigars, presumably the cocoons or whatever that the bees
constructed from the leaf segments. Most had an open end and appeared
empty, but I collected them together and tucked them away in a dry
spot in the garden, just in case some still had residents.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

stevej wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Could you please advise if the leaf cutter ant could live in the UK. I have
> busy lizzies, petunia's, fuchia's which all have mouth shaped bits missing
> from the leaves. Or if not, any thoughts on what thias coule be.
>
> If it is relevant I am in Northern England where it has been very wet of
> late.
>
> MTIA
> Linda

leafcutter ants are native to the Americas, mostly Central and South
America.
http://www.blueboard.com/leafcutters/distribution.htm