colony in process of being overrun

[Cuckmere couple]

wasps

a few hundred dead bees (and wasps) inside hive

i HAD reduced entrance to a couple of inches as a young colony but clearly insufficient

i cleared out dead bees/wasps away from hives so as not to give more sustenance to wasps

but....i think ill put it back in a nuc, close up entrance and move it

queen is from this year so want to protect her

sound ok?

 

[Erichalfbee]

You need all frames covered in bees so if a nuc does it then do it.
Entrance down to 2 bees. If you have a Maisemore nuc that has a sort of tunnel entrance which you can reduce down even further with a little piece of wood cut to fit

 

[MartinL]

i HAD reduced entrance to a couple of inches as a young colony but clearly insufficient

i cleared out dead bees/wasps away from hives so as not to give more sustenance to wasps

but....i think ill put it back in a nuc, close up entrance and move it
QUOTE]

Wasps will be after the honey and not the bees, once they know the way in it's as good as over unless you take immediate action. How long have they been in the full sized box? Empty space inside allows the jaspers free movement once past the entrance.

Turn the hive around now then try to manufacture some sort of tunnel entrance no more than 2 bees wide.

How many hives do you have? Another option would be to swap positions with a stronger hive (both entrances reduced).

 

[Cuckmere couple]

thats good advice

theyve been in a full hive about a motnh 5=6 frames of bia

ill put in a nuc and move apiary i think

whats quickest way to make a tunnel

 

[Cuckmere couple]

You need all frames covered in bees so if a nuc does it then do it.
Entrance down to 2 bees. If you have a Maisemore nuc that has a sort of tunnel entrance which you can reduce down even further with a little piece of wood cut to fit

do you mean the vertical slats of the QE on the maisemore?

 

[Erichalfbee]

do you mean the vertical slats of the QE on the maisemore?

If you look at the floor it has a removable bit at the entrance.
If you fashion a small piece of wood to fit underneath you have the perfect long tunnel entrance

 

[MartinL]

whats quickest way to make a tunnel

Really depends on what you have available.
Piece or pieces of scrap wood with tapered hole, wedged in to the entrance would do. Millet posted some pics, (claims to have invented it) Victor Meldrew also had something workable 3 or 4 years earlier. .

It used to be common to position a piece of glass above the entrance to confuse wasps but I think that was more to prevent wasps in the first place than stop them once they've started fulltime destruction.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Important to get those entrances reduced before wasps appear in any number

 

[Swarm]

Erichalfbee,
Your picture is the separate floor/box type of nuc, I think the OP has the sealed unit with a disc entrance.
If the latter, I'd reduce the entrance to two bees .... after moving it away.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

If you can move the colony a couple of miles away that would be great. I might be inclined to put a wasp trap in it's place to trap any that think it's a good place to be. One year I had a cola bottle trap that got filled after I removed a mini-nuc. The wasps kept on coming and therefore didn't bother any other hives.

 

[bingevader]

It's not just the wasps this year either!
I've a weak colony that is being troubled by bumblebees!
Same holds true though, I've reduced the entrance and the honey bees then seem able to keep the bumbles out.

 

[Horseradish]

I've noticed wasp activity has reallly ramped up at my two hives over this last week.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

thanks all

ive put 4 wasp traps out and theyre filling up nicely

am going to move the colony

it was only temporarily there and is next to another one

ive reduced the entrance on the other too