Gentle bees versus wasps

[The Poot in Somerset]

Studying my three colonies it is clear the more defensive ones (whilst being inspected), also defend more effectively against wasps. My Buckies - which are little lambs -appear to let wasps in and out without a fight. A swarm of mongrels captured in June - still not a "fully fledged" colony, are basically blocking their entrance all the time and interrogating all would be visitors and are really aggressive towards the wasps.
Is that your experience too?

 

[Finman]

Studying my three colonies it is clear the more defensive ones


Is that your experience too?

Hives are more or less defensive. But they must kill all robber bees and wasps. Otherwise colonies will be soon destroyed.
.
My most hives a very calm, but they surely kill wasps if those try into the hive.

If robbers are not killed on entrance, they will be killed on combs.

 

[mintmoth]

I'm not giving the wasps any opportunity to try this year. I've put narrow tunnel entrances on all three hives, 1 cedar and 2 swienty, and the wasps are not even attempting to go near the entrances, although within a couple of minutes I had two around my box of kit.
Saw a European hornet flash by too, yellow as the air ambulance and almost as big.

 

[Millet]

I have buckfast from generations .. F1/F2 and F3... the temperament and aggression between the three types varies.. F1 is ok and like babies F3 are wild and want to kill you as soon as the roof is of..
All generations are exactly the same as far as defending against wasps go..

 

[oliver90owner]

If they are allowing wasps free access, your colonies are likely doomed if that continues.

 

[SDM]

If they are allowing wasps free access, your colonies are likely doomed if that continues.

It's probably a sign they were doomed anyway, with or without the wasps.

 

[madasafish]

My hives are all very peaceable: the wasps leave them alone. Maybe they have signed a peace treaty?

 

[Popparand]

Yep, I have nice calm well behaved bees too. Wasps are trying to get in all thetime but the bees are having none of it. Good entertainment watching the bees rough up the wasps that do decide to have a go.

Most puch-ups end with the bees flying away and the wasps dying on the ground.

Do bees die if they've stung the wasps? Mostly they seem to survive. I wonder why.

 

[Millet]

Yep, I have nice calm well behaved bees too. Wasps are trying to get in all thetime but the bees are having none of it. Good entertainment watching the bees rough up the wasps that do decide to have a go.

Most puch-ups end with the bees flying away and the wasps dying on the ground.

Do bees die if they've stung the wasps? Mostly they seem to survive. I wonder why.

No they can sting each other and wasps all day long as the barbed sting does not get stuck in outer shell of insects like it does with mammals skin and fabric.

 

[B+.]

Studying my three colonies it is clear the more defensive ones (whilst being inspected), also defend more effectively against wasps.

This is not true. Even colonies which express no defensive behaviour during inspection are quite capable of defending themselves against wasps.

 

[victor meldrew]

Hives are more or less defensive. But they must kill all robber bees and wasps. Otherwise colonies will be soon destroyed.

.

My most hives a very calm, but they surely kill wasps if those try into the hive.



If robbers are not killed on entrance, they will be killed on combs.

Can’t help thinking, after observations around my hives, that wasps, still in the carrion phase first discover the hives at drone evicting time ?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Erichalfbee]

This is not true. Even colonies which express no defensive behaviour during inspection are quite capable of defending themselves against wasps.

I would agree with that
My gentle colonies are just as adept as the more fiesty ones

 

[Finman]

.
If bees do not cover all combs in the hive, wasp have opportunity to enter into the hive and steal food.

 

[user 6228]

This is not true. Even colonies which express no defensive behaviour during inspection are quite capable of defending themselves against wasps.

To expand upon the above
The behaviour around the entrance is "different" from the top of the nest. quite a few of the nice well behaved colonies for inspections have gone for me if I messed around with the entrance. I try not to do that any more

However I use tunnel entrances so there are lots more bees to do you



References for the above available on request

 

[B+.]

To expand upon the above
The behaviour around the entrance is "different" from the top of the nest. quite a few of the nice well behaved colonies for inspections have gone for me if I messed around with the entrance. I try not to do that any more

However I use tunnel entrances so there are lots more bees to do you



References for the above available on request

Again. this is not true. If your colonies attack at the entrance, that is aggressive behaviour and the colony should be marked down. It is aggression towards the examiner that is being assessed.
I am drawing a distinction between aggressive behaviour towards the examiner and defensive behaviour towards robbers and wasps. A colony that didn't defend itself against robbers/wasps would soon succumb.

 

[john t]

there seem to be a lot of wasps about this year,

as soon as i noticed the wasps taking an interest in my bees, i closed the entrance to 1 bee space,
ie 1 in/out at a time,using omf so plenty of ventilation, easy for the bees to defend,wasps soon lose interest,
also converted a couple of hives to the in and up entrance that seem to be working very well

 

[sipa]

This is not true. Even colonies which express no defensive behaviour during inspection are quite capable of defending themselves against wasps.

 

[Amari]

there seem to be a lot of wasps about this year,

as soon as i noticed the wasps taking an interest in my bees, i closed the entrance to 1 bee space,
ie 1 in/out at a time,using omf so plenty of ventilation, easy for the bees to defend,wasps soon lose interest,
also converted a couple of hives to the in and up entrance that seem to be working very well

= under-floor entrance? I made these over last winter (JBM design) for most of my hives and they seem to be working well re wasps - and no winter mouse guard needed.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Having closed down to approx two bee spaces the bees are seeing off the wasps. The entrance was approx four inches wide prior. (The bees had always entered at one corner of the entrance and I had blocked off the rest). It seems the congestion now at the entrance has promoted a proper defence. It is a strong colony - which as Beefriendly states should not be troubled by wasps - so it was a little confusing to see wasps going in and out. Now appears all ok, so not "doomed" as the Frazers of this forum would have it.