On this, they lay a single egg. Then they return to cut a few smaller circles from the leaves that will be used as a plug for that chamber and then continue adding additional chambers until they run out of room. Inside, the larvae eat the bee bread and soon emerge as adult bees. Leaf-cutter bees serve an important role in the production of human food. In the Pacific Northwest where honeybees do not do well, leaf-cutter bees are used extensively for their pollination services, especially for alfalfa.
Farmers provide large blocks of wood with holes of the perfect size to attract leaf-cutters.