I have Wasps help!

[kazmcc]

DEATH TO ALL WASPS !!!

 

[EssexLad]

Wasps !

Hi Beepig, last year was my first year playing at beekeeping, we had a wasp attack on a good sized nuc towards the end of August. I didn't notice for a couple of days and by then the wasps were going in quicker than the gaurds could deal with them.
I custom made wooden entrance reducers for my two hives and the nuc as the wasps (dozens of the little b's) were now targeting the area having found the bees as an easy source of food. In the end I won, with the entrances reduced to 1 bee width / height, I also put the bottom board in (under the mesh floor) to prevent waste and honey falling under the hive as the wasps seemed to be attracted to this. This year Im ready !

Good luck!

 

[Putnamsmif]

I don't mind wasps, I don't mind gypsies, I dislike bigots intensely. Ignore button in action.

 

[Ely]

I don't mind wasps, I don't mind gypsies, I dislike bigots intensely. Ignore button in action.

Must be difficult living in Norfolk. They give us strange looks speaking with a northern accent let alone ethnics

 

[Teemore]

I don't mind wasps, I don't mind gypsies, I dislike bigots intensely. Ignore button in action.

Sometimes it can be hard to differentiate between a victim and a bigot.

Everything has its place but when it is in the wrong place, it causes problems that have to be addressed (Just think of robbing in its various connotations).
Left alone, some of those problems snowball and can have unintended consequences for others.

Read into that what you will.

 

[victor meldrew]

Thanks for that most negative feed back old man.

Fortunately a forum has many positive views and tolerances to negative ones.

I shall act and remedy this morning. A positive action. You may wish to work on that...

Ask in the beginners section , he won't bother you there !
Your positive action will work .
Don't splash any syrup around , don't drop wax etc around , don't feed a colony being robbed .
Try propping a piece of glass or loose twigs in front of the entrance , the occupants will soon learn the way in whilst the robbers will be stalled long enough for the guards to deal with them.
As we are in the middle of a honey flow (after the rain) a too restricted entrance will hamper the foragers .
If you prevent the wasp from flying directly into the entrance ,that's half the battle
VM


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Cazza]

DEATH TO ALL WASPS !!!

Wasps have their important place in nature as tidyuppers. They are valuable and useful.
You can keep bees perfectly well without wasp slaughter. You just have to be vigilant and careful.

Cazza

 

[victor meldrew]

Agreed !
Wasp are pollinators and as their grubs are carnivorous they mop up tons of aphids of all persuasions !
They are the gardeners friends but not necessarily the fruit growers.
VM


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Cazza]

Agreed !
Wasp are pollinators and as their grubs are carnivorous they mop up tons of aphids of all persuasions !
They are the gardeners friends but not necessarily the fruit growers.
VM


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thank you VM. I was beginning to think I was alone in my dislike of the annual round of wasp murdering by beekeepers!
Cazza (Born again wasp admirer thanks to Karol)

 

[Fatbee]

Honey bees get far more publicity than other pollinators because they supply man's desires for honey so the other important pollinators who do stuff unseen get none of the glory. Wasps are the same - integral part of our ecosystem and deeply persecuted by the ill informed. If as beekeepers who are close to nature advocate widespread slaughter what chance do wasps have.
Just deal with it - reduce entrances and keep strong colonies. I expect people will be advocating a woodpecker cull next if we get a hard winter

 

[Cazza]

Cazza

 

[beepig]

Good input everyone. Very interesting views many are! I have been over and added traps and sponge barriers to reduce entrance size. Did not see any wasps today though. Also removed my first full super of honey. Excited am i yes..
Oh and i realise that wasps are actually useful also, but as a farmers market trader making and selling Charcuterie i know what a nuisance they can be as the year advances. Usually fruit first followed by meat as they try and survive

 

[dommod]

*******

What's your opinion on black people and pakistanis? Just curious.

 

[beepig]

What's your opinion on black people and pakistanis? Just curious.

**********************

 

[sbisme]

I too am a first year beekeeper, I noticed a week ago that wasps were taking some interest in my hive, reduced the entrance down to one bee space, the bees seem ok with this and I have watched the wasps hanging around but as soon as they go near to the entrance my girls are on them.
Still keeping an eye on them but they seem to holding there own.

 

[drex]

I too am a first year beekeeper, I noticed a week ago that wasps were taking some interest in my hive, reduced the entrance down to one bee space, the bees seem ok with this and I have watched the wasps hanging around but as soon as they go near to the entrance my girls are on them.
Still keeping an eye on them but they seem to holding there own.

I think that is the essence of what Rab was on about in his usual diplomatic fashion. Once the wasps have a foot in the door it can be difficult to get rid of them.take action as soon as you see that there might be a problem . Reduce entrance, glass in front, move hive etc. Funnily enough just back from my apiary where I reduced all entrances on my strong hives. Nucs and smaller colonies were done a couple of weeks ago. Seen few wasps as yet though.

I agree with Rab. Read.Read, read some more and still will not know all the answers.

 

[beepig]

Thanks again and read i shall

 

[kazmcc]

Wasps are the same - integral part of our ecosystem and deeply persecuted by the ill informed.

Oh, I'm well informed about wasps thanks to Karol and his posts. I used to be terrified of anything that buzzed, seriously phobic, but I kind of fell into beekeeping and the more I learned about bees, the more I started to love them. Can't say the same for wasps. The more I learn, then more I fear them. Swarm attacking? Oh my word!!

 

[theeggman]

We run all our colonies with reduced entrance block in ALL year and last year when wasps were around put mouseguards on reduced to 2 bee holes.
Seemed to defeat the wasps and they stayed like that, just 2 holes, all the way through until spring.
Didn't lose any colonies, the bees just had to queue a bit.

Tim.

 

[kazmcc]

I think the best plan of action is to defeat the scouts before the swarm feeding happens. I think I will start putting my entrance block in all year round and see how that goes, if it slows them during a flow then I'll monitor and pop it out but make sure I have it to hand at every inspection to put back on.