How the bees defend a nuc from wasps

[Natureboy44]

Wasps everywhere, some nests very close to the bees this year so apparently the bees decided they need an entourage of bouncers at the door to stop the daily onslaught.

 

[Swarm]

Beautiful little bees.

 

[BugsInABox]

Wow, they do keep trying though.

 

[user 819]

A sheet of glass is working well this year on my 6 frame nuc that did have wasps looking about.

 

[bobthecob]

Yes, quite a few of my hives have been putting bouncers out like this. Highly effective.

 

[beeno]

Yes all my colonies are doing that incl. the nucs. Also, one makes a beep sound to alert the others of incoming - I think.

 

[beeno]

Another tactic that some of my nucs used to use was to put their butts into the 9mm holes stopping all from entering. Then letting the pilled up foragers in through one hole and then close the hole down again. Amazing strategists!

 

[Natureboy44]

Wow, they do keep trying though.

The wasps start at daybreak and they do not stop going at it all day until dark, has been going on here for weeks and this was just a 2 minute clip of that day.

Yes all my colonies are doing that incl. the nucs. Also, one makes a beep sound to alert the others of incoming - I think.

Hahaha yes I have heard the beeping wandered what it was.

 

[BugsInABox]

The ivy’s definitely open here now. Oddly, the stuff in my garden at least, only has small walls on it.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Ivy doesn’t flower until it reaches the top of whatever its climbing, according to the gardening gurus.
So low walls are good

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ivy doesn’t flower until it reaches the top of whatever its climbing, according to the gardening gurus.
So low walls are good

Not true in my garden.
Ivy flowers from about three feet to as far up the tree as it’s got to.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Not true in my garden.
Ivy flowers from about three feet to as far up the tree as it’s got to.

I did say it was according to gardening gurus. I’m not one.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Ivy doesn’t flower until it reaches the top of whatever its climbing, according to the gardening gurus.

Another one for the myths and magic room

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Another one for the myths and magic room

That’s more like it Jenks, I knew you’d take the bait

 

[Swarm]

Ivy in its creeping stage does not flower and the leaves are palmate. When it becomes arboreal, the leaves change to a more rounded shape. It will flower after ten years.
So probably will have reached the top of whatever it's climbing, Poot.
There's a section of dry stone wall on top of a mountain in Pontypridd that has the earliest flowering Ivy I know of around here, I always use it as a gauge.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Ivy in its creeping stage does not flower and the leaves are palmate. When it becomes arboreal, the leaves change to a more rounded shape. It will flower after ten years.
So probably will have reached the top of whatever it's climbing, Poot.
There's a section of dry stone wall on top of a mountain in Pontypridd that has the earliest flowering Ivy I know of around here, I always use it as a gauge.

Thanks for that Steve, that does ring a familiar bell
If it hasn’t reached the top in ten years, it picked the wrong tree

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Ivy in its creeping stage does not flower and the leaves are palmate. When it becomes arboreal, the leaves change to a more rounded shape. It will flower after ten years.
So probably will have reached the top of whatever it's climbing, Poot.
There's a section of dry stone wall on top of a mountain in Pontypridd that has the earliest flowering Ivy I know of around here, I always use it as a gauge.

Ivy in its creeping stage does not flower and the leaves are palmate. When it becomes arboreal, the leaves change to a more rounded shape. It will flower after ten years.
So probably will have reached the top of whatever it's climbing, Poot.
There's a section of dry stone wall on top of a mountain in Pontypridd that has the earliest flowering Ivy I know of around here, I always use it as a gauge.

This lot started opening flowers yesterday.

 

[Erichalfbee]

This lot started opening flowers yesterday.
View attachment 22202

Wow! That is ivy heaven. I bet you can smell it yards away!

 

[Swarm]

That's stunning, John.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

One of my regular walks when we were berthed at the marines base at Turnchapel was up above Jennycliffe bay to the great wall at Staddon heights that overlooks the sea. The whole area up there was just a forest of ivy, really heady when the flowerts opened