Argghh - ROBBING!!

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Joined
Jun 8, 2010
Messages
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Location
Dartmoor edge, uk
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
5...2 wooden National, 2 poly Nat & 1 poly nuc...bursting at the seams
Just popped out to do something non-bee related in the garden...yes I know I have to sometimes...to find my bees in mid battle!

They are under attack from wasps and other bees as well as the odd hornet...aarrgghh. Reduced the entrance even more, a new batch of wasp traps and...hoping. They are a strong colony and this is the first time they have had this trouble so hopefully they will come out on top!:cuss:
 
best of luck they got to me one of the days so i sat in the beesuit beside a dollop of jam with a stick crushing the wappos . still cant find there nest.
 
its time for your bees to use their bums and sting those wasps away then they may then leave their keeper alone,
sting wise
Lol keep up the good fight !!:party:
 
We've had virtually no trouble at all until today when all hell broke lose...I even got straffed by a hornet!
 
Do you remember how upset I was about the wasps fighting with our bees? To my mind there were loads. Everywhere I looked there was a wasp killing one of our bees and then flying off with it's body :cuss: At the next inspection I was very nervous, I was dreading what I would find when Paul opened the hive. I expected total carnage, with ragged foundation and ripped open stores. I couldn't have been more surprised!! They had almost filled the super, even with all this going on.

You say your colony is strong, as is ours, so here's hoping it looks worse than it really is. The wasp traps I set didn't catch anything, and although there are still a few dotting about, the amount of wasps attacking has diminished greatly. Keep me updated, I'm sure they will be ok. I know how you feel though, all you can do is close the entrance down and I felt I should have been doing more lol. Good luck, like everyone told me, with a narrow entrance, a strong healthy colony should be able to deal with a wasp attack. :svengo:
 
Yeah - I just feel a bit responsible for them - silly, as I am sure they don't reciprocate!!:smilielol5:
 
I have several small comonies (less than a nuc) and they are surviving OK. Provided the wasps don't get a 'foot-hold' you'll be OK.
 
Queens

I can only repeat the advice given by Victor Meldrew.

Make a mesh tunnel with an opening at one end, 2 bee spaces wide, fix it over the entrance.

Worked wonders for a friend and myself.

Arguably the best advice I've ever had.
 
Yeah - I just feel a bit responsible for them - silly, as I am sure they don't reciprocate!!:smilielol5:

I know. You'd think they'd be a little more grateful after all the worry. I have no finger nails left lol :p
 
Hopefully all those Jaspers will be dying off soon and we won't have to worry about them. B*****ds!
 
Hornets are leaving my bees alone at the moment and are devouring the grapes instead:cuss: My badminton racket has been busy:coolgleamA:
 
I had this a few weeks back with one of my colonies. I stuffed grass in the entrance so there was only room for 2 bees & propped a piece of glass on the walkboard so the only access was from the sides. Attack stopped within the hour bee-smillie
 
My girls are now much happier. The wasps are still around, but the entrance is small and they are protecting it well and the traps are collecting a few others each day. I think it was that having read about it I was 'sort of' prepared, but seeing your precious bees rolling around all over the floor fighting is really distressing. Next year I won't let down my guard!
 
I know exactly what you mean. It's awful, and when I told non beeks about how upsetting I found it they laughed. To add insult to injury, the horrible things kept flying off with the dead bodies.....I still can't get over that! I had to just watch helplessly as they flew off into the distance. Grrr

Glad your pretty bees are taking it in their stride :)
 
Here you go Kazmcc - I cannot recommend these highly enough. Very wasp repellent. Trigger pressed and a gentle sweep through there air - zap. Or do what my mom does and keep going till they start to pop =0

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Charcoal-Companion-Amazing-Bug-Zapper/dp/B00008GS96[/ame]
 
Queens

I can only repeat the advice given by Victor Meldrew.

Make a mesh tunnel with an opening at one end, 2 bee spaces wide, fix it over the entrance.

Worked wonders for a friend and myself.

Arguably the best advice I've ever had.


Please, can you direct me to this advice? I have tried search but cannot find any reference to it.
Is this device useful against robber bees as well as wasps?
Only I fear my colony may be losing the battle.
Tara
 
Please, can you direct me to this advice? I have tried search but cannot find any reference to it.
Is this device useful against robber bees as well as wasps?
Only I fear my colony may be losing the battle.
Tara

Post #52 in this thread

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6165

I imagine it should be helpful against robber bees as well. Best advise, in lieu of a contraption like this though, is to narrow the entrance to a couple of beeswidth and set a few traps, described in the above link and others
 
Here you go Kazmcc - I cannot recommend these highly enough. Very wasp repellent. Trigger pressed and a gentle sweep through there air - zap. Or do what my mom does and keep going till they start to pop =0

http://www.amazon.com/Charcoal-Companion-Amazing-Bug-Zapper/dp/B00008GS96

I agree with Storm, very effective and easy to use. We have something similar called an executioner pro, although in our house it is lovingly refered to as Frank (Zapper). Provides a satisfying 'crack' and a 'blue spark' on impact, largely cosmetic round hives of course.

You can buy one of Franks brothers here I have no association with the manufacturer or seller.
 

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