6 weeks old AS has been overrun with wasps....help please!

[victor meldrew]

Are you sure they are wasps? Would be more than a little odd to be on a Cotoneaster unless there are some aphids or similar they are taking back to the nest. There are lot's of other insects that imitate wasps, such as hoverflies and solitary bees.

Chris

I have a Coneaster on view from my favourite armchair, some years it's worked feverishly by the common wasps .
Not one has visited this year ,neither have there been any around the hives ?
Most unusual. I hope I haven't tempted fate!
I now no longer put traps around the apiary as I suspect this attracts wasps that would otherwise be elsewhere!
Later in the season I place traps a couple of hundred feet away .
In the past I've used bated traps in the apiary early in the year ,judging that the earlier I take out wasps ,the less the problem later . Wrong , the years I did that coincided with the years that the wasps were at their greatest nuisance !!

John Wilkinson

 

[Torq]

Rat glue with jam on makes a very satisfying trap for the b***ers.

Rat glue or any sort of sticky trap is illegal here in Ireland.

T

 

[Chris Luck]

Well I've learnt something today, that's always good. Having done a bit of research it seems that Cotoneaster is one of only a few early / mid season plants that has a nectar that is usable for wasps.



Chris

 

[BabyBee]

beestie, i so know how oyu feel....and of course i feel partly responsible too

 

[susbees]

Are you sure they are wasps? Would be more than a little odd to be on a Cotoneaster unless there are some aphids or similar they are taking back to the nest. There are lot's of other insects that imitate wasps, such as hoverflies and solitary bees.

Chris

We have a small-tree sized cotoneaster. It is mobbed by common wasps each year, May-time. They don't let the bees near.
Now they're on the brambles and ground elder flowers (which need scything...).
One nest down and more somewhere.

 

[darren64]

I've only seen 1 wasp and it seemed more interested in the dead bees on the apiary floor,but I have a small nuc so I will be on the lookout for more wasps turning up

 

[Chris Luck]

See my post two above yours susbees.


Well I've learnt something today, that's always good. Having done a bit of research it seems that Cotoneaster is one of only a few early / mid season plants that has a nectar that is usable for wasps.



When I see something or hear something new I research it.

Chris

 

[susbees]

When I see something or hear something new I research it.

Chris

I can send you about quarter of an acre of ground elder . They are about the only insects on it. Not noticed it before as it's usually flattened by now.

 

[Chris Luck]

I'll pass on the ground elder thanks even if it would remind me of the UK

Chris

 

[C22]

Rat glue or any sort of sticky trap is illegal here in Ireland.

T

Sticking glue boards outside hives is not a good idea

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Sticking glue boards outside hives is not a good idea

Its fine if you are in the right place. Next to no bees land on it, loads of wasps do if smeared with jam.

Where my hives are birds don't land, pets don't go, and apart from the danger of trapping the odd rodent (not happened to me yet), the rat glue options work just fine.

 

[milkermel]

Rat glue or any sort of sticky trap is illegal here in Ireland.

T

Any poison or trap being used for a pest other than what is stated on the statatory regs i believe you will find is illegal in UK as well!

As someone pointed out other wildlife caught and usually has to be killed due to damage. Sticky boards although effective are not liscenced for use on wasps.

I know the wasps can be frustrating, BUT there are ways to deal with them. you can nearly always follow them back to the nest (whoever suggested icing sugar btw great idea! never thought of that one) Yes it takes it time to find but it is possible.

 

[BabyBee]

So NOW what's happening???

aarrgghh!

this morning i went down after very heavy rainfall all day yesterdy and i see a few wasps maybe about 20 in 10 minutes of watching) trying to get in & apart from one, they all gave up and went away.

I was out all day today (jury duty) and when i went down to look see what's happening, there are loads and loads of bees flying around the hive! and of course some wasps

so what do i do now?
and why might there be so many bees?
surely they couldnt have gotten out? and if they did, why on earth do they want to come back to an ill-fated hive?

i am soooo confused

 

[victor meldrew]

aarrgghh!
why might there be so many bees?
surely they couldnt have gotten out? and if they did, why on earth do they want to come back to an ill-fated hive?

i am soooo confused

Me likewiseDo you lock your bees in?

I would answer your question if I knew what it was .

John Wilkinson

 

[oliver90owner]

I'll try to answer.

so what do i do now?

'Nothing' is likely the answer here.

and why might there be so many bees?

Possibly some of the bees that have been robbing the hive recently?

surely they couldnt have gotten out?

You should be able to tell. You are closer than us!

and if they did, why on earth do they want to come back to an ill-fated hive?

Nowhere else to live!

That may answer your questions but is likely of little use to you if you are soooo easily confused.

 

[BabyBee]

well thank you for making me feel even more of an eejit than I did yesterday LOL, and sorry if i confused the issue.

my concern is this: i locked my bees in on monday & believed there wasno way in or out (obviously to keep the robbing swine wasps out!), so i was more than a little confused today to see so many BEES flying around the hive when i would have expected to see only wasps (seeing as how the BEES are shut in).

and yes i appreciate that i am the only one here, and i should be able to see what's happening - and indeed i can see what's happening........i just dont understand it thats all ?

and the other point is that i shut them in after dark on monday so i would have thought that they were all home already. so i'm wondering where they might have come from.....that's all...just thinking out loud and wondering if someone far cleverer and more expereinced than me (which is pretty much everyone of course!!) can come up with some suggestions for me.....

 

[grahambee]

more than a little confused today to see so many BEES flying around the hive when i would have expected to see only wasps (seeing as how the BEES are shut in).
.....

Can be robbing bees

 

[Chris Luck]

Can be robbing bees

As has already been said.

Chris

 

[BabyBee]

suppose it could be robbing bees....though my strawberry patch is looking mighty wasp attacked too......we have a resident frog/toad friend who sees off most of the slugs for us just now

 

[richardbees]

BabyB

"suppose it could be robbing bees...."

sorry but from your description there is no "suppose" about it!

richard