Care of Nucs

[BILL.HEARD]

Wasps are already out in force down our way, they are already trying to get into weak hives and small nucs, please keep entrances as small as possible as they can be robbed in days. Take care not to spill sugar if feeding.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Good advice Bill.
I've noticed a build-up of wasps lately too.

 

[beestie]

Last week I received a nuc, which I transferred into a BB with a hive-top feeder to get them going. (Nuc was almost completely without capped stores )
Feeder not used for a couple of years, and after thorough cleaning and filling with 1:1 syrup it looks like some of the joints may be 'damp' with syrup seeping through. Probably a temporary problem as the syrup should crystallise eventually (?) but this is encouraging wasps around the weak hive.
News seems to be spreading among the wasps, saw one go through the reduced entrance this evening unchallenged.
Should I remove the feeder, close the entrance up further to one/two bee spaces, or is there something I can do to discourage the wasps?

 

[susbees]

Spot on Bill. We're lacking the onslaught of German wasps we had last year but there are quite a number of persistent common wasps around all the hives.

If anyone's been using syrup/sugar in water sprays now is the time to stop.

 

[beestie]

Sorry...it's late and I was typing aimlessly...I'll close the entrance a bit more and leave the feeder and monitor the situation as stores build but is it too early to use anti-wasp measures - (something called wasp bane?) or similar?

 

[Insy]

Ive just seen a recipe for a home made wasp/hornet trap somewhere, the guy reported he has over 200 wasps and hornets last year in each one

want me to try and dig it up?

 

[beestie]

Yes please! Nothing worse than seeing a determined wasp attack...

 

[BILL.HEARD]

http://www.natureconservationimaging.com/images/Dolichovespula-media-dark.jpg

Just seen the above attacking my nucs with Vespula vulgaris the common wasp,
Its going to be a bad year for wasps I'm afraid.

 

[BILL.HEARD]

Last week I received a nuc, which I transferred into a BB with a hive-top feeder to get them going. (Nuc was almost completely without capped stores )
Feeder not used for a couple of years, and after thorough cleaning and filling with 1:1 syrup it looks like some of the joints may be 'damp' with syrup seeping through. Probably a temporary problem as the syrup should crystallise eventually (?) but this is encouraging wasps around the weak hive.
News seems to be spreading among the wasps, saw one go through the reduced entrance this evening unchallenged.
Should I remove the feeder, close the entrance up further to one/two bee spaces, or is there something I can do to discourage the wasps?

Close all entrances on small nucs to one bee space, it will help.