Everything Loves Chestnut Trees!

Chestnut trees have been referred to a "deer candy," as the foliage is highly favored by deer.  And of course, "everything" eats the nuts from the chestnut tree - deer, bears, raccoons, turkey, bluejays, etc.  the Kentucky Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation has even had one of their backcross breeding orchards literally destroyed by elk in the eastern part of the state.


I recently observed a leafcutter bee utilizing American chestnut leaves for nesting materials.  The bees are solitary in nature (no hives like a honey bee) and will cut small portions of suitable leaves to be carried back to the nesting cavity - usually a hollow plant stem or abandoned exit hole from a boring insect in a tree - and placed just so to construct chambers.  Within these chambers, the bee collects and deposits a ball of pollen.  Upon this pollen, an egg is laid and then the chamber is sealed up with another leaf cutting.  Onto building the next one!

A leafcutter bee can be seen towards the left carrying a newly cut piece

of American chestnut leaf.