sheena
New Bee
My colony has been under attack from wasps. I've done everything I could think of. Entrance has been down to one bee space, ( with a little tunnel rigged up in the hope the bees could defend easier with that ) Wasp traps everywhere, hours spent picking off wasps one by one, hours spent looking for the nest(s).
Wasps have been crazy here this year. They are very aggressive to the bees.
Anyway, weeks of being under attack and I now have hardly any bees left at all. The queen is there trying to do her thing, but I'm down to hundreds ( if that ). Its been very traumatic for us all!!
So basically they are doomed. Unless anyone can come up with any suggestions. Could I for example rig up a mini nuc box and keep the queen and her few companions in the porch over winter?
Should I see if the bee keeping association near me wants the queen? Seems a bit late in the year to do anything with her though. Is it too late to try to introduce her to another hive? I know of one that may possibly be queenless - either that or she stopped laying early this year. Is it worth offering her to them on the offchance? I know that would be very unlikely to work as if the hive is queenless then they probably have been now for too long.
Anyway, any suggestions please?
Wasps have been crazy here this year. They are very aggressive to the bees.
Anyway, weeks of being under attack and I now have hardly any bees left at all. The queen is there trying to do her thing, but I'm down to hundreds ( if that ). Its been very traumatic for us all!!
So basically they are doomed. Unless anyone can come up with any suggestions. Could I for example rig up a mini nuc box and keep the queen and her few companions in the porch over winter?
Should I see if the bee keeping association near me wants the queen? Seems a bit late in the year to do anything with her though. Is it too late to try to introduce her to another hive? I know of one that may possibly be queenless - either that or she stopped laying early this year. Is it worth offering her to them on the offchance? I know that would be very unlikely to work as if the hive is queenless then they probably have been now for too long.
Anyway, any suggestions please?