wasps/hornets in patio...?

[looobylooo]

hi all,
weve a patio of paving slabs out in our back garden,
in one of the small open cracks between the slabs weve noticed some sort of wasp/hornet type creature who seems to be making his home in there! (hes not yellow and black though like a wasp, hes more dark brown in colour)
weve seen him frequently returning, carrying a small bit of green leave underneath his body, hovvering around the hole, then quickly disappearing down into it. and then a minute or two later he emerges again, flies off, comes back with another piece of leaf and in he goes!...
any ideas what it is please and should we be concerned? we thought of blocking the hole..?
thanks :o)

[rowanwitch]

are you sure its not a leaf cutter bee?

[looobylooo]

a leaf cutter bee rowan?? ooh i dont know im sure, ive not heard of one of those, i will google it, thanks.

[China Doll]

If you knew for certain it was a hornet then I'd kill it. I don't think they're particularly vicious as much as they are big and ugly and scary (if you're me and rather terrified of them) but I don't imagine you'd want a little nest of the blighters.

I think I read recently though that we've got a few species of wasp and bee in this country now that we never used to have (something to do with the weather/seasons changing) so it might be that you've got a perfectly harmless little critter there... (although I'd still probably kill it but I really don't like them!)

[looobylooo]

it sounds like it could be what rowan suggested, a leaf cutter bee.
ive just done a google and the pics looks similar to our little fella, plus the leaves he returns with all seem to be very 'neatly cut' and of the same size.

[rowanwitch]

yes that will be it...won't hurt and fascinating to watch treat like you would any other bee..

[looobylooo]

aw bless his little cotton socks then, we shall let him carry on with his busy home making without blocking up his doorway then! lol.

thanks rowan for your help :o)

[jomifl]

Definitely a leaf cutter bee and harmless. If you put a flower pot of sandy soil near its burrow it may well colonise that too. I used to get them in my greenhouse,they seem to prefer rose leaves.