What's this bee doing in my garden?

[gorgeousgrower]

I'm not really all that clued up on the different types of bee - I know this one is not a bumble bee. I keep seeing it returning with pieces of leaf - leaf-cutter bee?

Anyway, it's been making a home for itself in the bottom of a small plant pot.

My question is this - why is it making a home now? Is this just it's daytime shelter or is it planning to take up permanent residence there? I thought they had only just come out of hibernation?

I love to see wildlife in the garden and especially making their homes there, but this particular pot is a plant which has been potted on and will need repotting again soon. I have a little area where all my plants from cuttings etc are 'brought-on' placed on staging, so the bee has easy access to the bottom of every pot. I tried restricting access by placing the pot on a hard surface but the bee just moves on to the next pot and begins all over again.

Don't get me wrong - I really don't mind sacrificing a plant to a bee's home, but am just wondering why it's making a spot for itself and how long it's likely to be for?

Any bee experts out there?

[Two_Sheds]

I'm not an expert, but I can Google with the best of 'em: " leafcutter bees collect fragments of leaves to construct individual nest cells. "

there's a bit more info here: Solitary bees

[lizzylemon]

I agree it was probably making a nest to lay it's lavre inside. I'm pretty sure, like a lot of bees and & wasps they're parasitic by nature and if you watch the pot the bee eventually settles with, you'll see a spider / caterpillar or something similar being pulled inside so the bee can lay it's egg on it. The larve will eventually eat it's way out of the poor captive! Horror films have nothing on nature