The other day while we were checking on out not-so-flourishing courgettes that are dotted around our garden, Tom shouted 'look!', I turned and saw him pointing at a plant (don't ask me what type of plant - I have no idea). 'Look!' he said again, 'a caterpillar has gone mad and had a good go at this plant'. I examined this plant and replied 'must be a very neat and tidy caterpillar - look at how precise and evenly cut the holes are.' We searched the plant but no caterpillars 'they must be somewhere else' Tom said.
We carried on pottering around the garden, pulling up possible weeds, commenting on our tomatoes and cursing the ants. Then something caught Tom's eye 'What's that on your bee house?' he said, 'what?' I said, 'look something is covering those two holes' he said, pointing.
'Tom - we got bees on our bee house!! Look, look, look! They've covered the holes - they've laid eggs!' I said in an over excited voice. 'Oh wow!' replied Tom.
We examined the bee house and it was fragments of leaves that were covering the holes, and then - click. It wasn't caterpillars having a go at the plant - but bees - leafcutter bees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megachile_rotundata), using the leaves to create cells within the holes in which an egg would be laid. A solitary bee and efficient pollinator.
So bee I've used my skills and given you help with your nesting arrangements, howabout you use your skills and help us out with our vegetables?
