Good These Bait Hives!

[The Poot]

This is the most interest this nuc has attracted!
She’s busy setting up home in there……

 

[blackcloud]

Spectacular creature.
That bait hive is too posh -consider a downgrade!

 

[JamezF]

I would not allow that. Quite possibly they'll damage the box by chewing it away.

James

 

[The Poot]

I would not allow that. Quite possibly they'll damage the box by chewing it away.

James

I have closed it knowing she’s outside, so she can build elsewhere. I certainly don’t want a hornets nest directly opposite my colonies!

 

[JamezF]

I'm not sure what's worse. Knowing there's one somewhere you don't want it, or not knowing that there's one somewhere you don't want it

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

what harm do you think hornets do then?

 

[The Poot]

Who are you asking? Me or James?

 

[Erichalfbee]

This is the most interest this nuc has attracted!
She’s busy setting up home in there……
View attachment 36346View attachment 36345

Oh how wonderful. I’d have happily let her stay there. I would have just moved it a little every day and turned it round. I doubt they would have had much impact on your bees

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Who are you asking? Me or James?

James - think he's been reading the daily mail again!!

 

[JamezF]

Well, in that case, you can have these nasturtiums that you've cast in my direction right back. I'd not want one setting up a nest in a poly hive because once it gets sufficiently big they'll eat away the poly and completely trash the box to make room for the nest to be enlarged. I've seen the aftermath. They reduced most of one side of a poly national brood to about 1mm thick.

And last weekend I opened the shed to get the mower out and one practically took my head off as it made for daylight. She was building a nest under the roof right above the mower seat, at about head height. Much as it might have been fun to claim that the grass couldn't be cut until Autumn because there was a hornets' nest in the mower shed it would probably not have gone down at all well, so she (the hornet) had to be encouraged to go elsewhere. Not to mention that someone, probably my father-in-law, would forget that there was a nest in there at some point and open the door to find himself with a faceful of hornets, though in fact these days he'd probably not even notice the nest until he'd headbutted it. Again, probably wouldn't have gone down well.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well, in that case, you can have these nasturtiums that you've cast in my direction right back. I'd not want one setting up a nest in a poly hive because once it gets sufficiently big they'll eat away the poly and completely trash the box to make room for the nest to be enlarged. I've seen the aftermath. They reduced most of one side of a poly national brood to about 1mm thick.

And last weekend I opened the shed to get the mower out and one practically took my head off as it made for daylight. She was building a nest under the roof right above the mower seat, at about head height. Much as it might have been fun to claim that the grass couldn't be cut until Autumn because there was a hornets' nest in the mower shed it would probably not have gone down at all well, so she (the hornet) had to be encouraged to go elsewhere. Not to mention that someone, probably my father-in-law, would forget that there was a nest in there at some point and open the door to find himself with a faceful of hornets, though in fact these days he'd probably not even notice the nest until he'd headbutted it. Again, probably wouldn't have gone down well.

James

You should have given them a super or two

 

[JamezF]

You should have given them a super or two

 

[Blunt Spike]

This is the most interest this nuc has attracted!
She’s busy setting up home in there……
View attachment 36346View attachment 36345

I've just had exactly the same thing at my bait hive in the garden. She was huge and sounded like a helicopter. She didn't like the accommodation and flew away a few minutes later.

 

[MillMeadow]

Impressive camera work

 

[The Poot]

Well, I had evicted the hornet, reopened the entrance yesterday and when I was out today, the bees moved in!
My good lady took the picture from a safe distance and behind glass and muttered something about divorce when I got back.
Started this Spring with two, now up to five