It's official :(

[oliver90owner]

If colonies are strong they should need no more than having a sensible entrance supplied by the beekeeper. I have one developing hive, which I noticed had a wasp nest less than 3 metres from the entrance. I simply closed down the entrance, to a little less than 50mm, two weeks ago, and dealt with the wasp nest later at my next visit (Monday). The problem should have gone away by now.....One or two wasps were seen probing the hive at the earlier inspection.

Nuc-sized colonies at this time of the year need to be well populated to be wasp resistant. If an option, I would position the colony warm way at the entrance, the opposite of earlier in the season.

Regards, RAB

 

[DianeJones]

I know how you feel - it's heart breaking! I've reduced my entrance to one bee space using sponge (just cut down a kitchen sponge) and stuffed it in. And put wasp traps around - just jam jars with jam and water, with foil with a hole punched in. Haven't caught any wasps yet - but only put them down last night - will check tonight. Ants, wasps - what next! Poor bees they have a hard life...

 

[oliver90owner]

DianeJones'

I just looked at your posts - you put a super on c.7 weeks ago!

DO NOT be paranoid about wasps! If your colony is as strong as I suspect, and you give no reason to think otherwise, you are likely harming your colony by restricting the entrance to such an extent.

RAB

 

[Erichalfbee]

My rat glue trap just caught a blue tit
So I have taken it down.

The smell of thymol would keep the wasps away, you'd think.
The bottle traps are out.
That will have to do.

 

[Tom Bick]

My rat glue trap just caught a blue tit
So I have taken it down.

The smell of thymol would keep the wasps away, you'd think.
The bottle traps are out.
That will have to do.

Ouch thats a bit sad.

when I tried the sticky pad originally for catching mice on the wasps I did think that the down side was other things can get caught in the glue.

Although I never got round to it I considered a sort of cage around the trap covered with chicken wire.

 

[Dishmop]

Somebody foam rubber entrance reducer,,

How about a piece of foam pipe insulation.. The stuff that has a split all the way along it? Bees get in at each end. Cut a bit out half way along for the bees to get from the tube into the entrance. Probaby similar to the aluminium one suggested.

 

[Firegazer]

Dishmop,
that sounds like a good idea - nice one.

The Swienty poly hive have quite an odd entrance profile, which I haven't really got the hang of yet, but some pipe insulation might do the trick.

FG

 

[Dishmop]

This is a bit of a cliff hanger.

We're all sitting here waiting to hear the latest news on Kaz's wasp problem.

 

[Dishmop]

Dishmop,
that sounds like a good idea - nice one.

No charge...

 

[Silly Bee]

lol, I am going to try all your suggestions and have a field day, as they upset me so much yesterday One worry, how will my nice polite colony be behaving today, after sustaining such an attack, I assume, since I left yesterday? Not happy I presume. Don't forget, I am still very new and this is only my 6th time around a hive. We have no intention of opening them, but still, lots of frenzied bees, around a once bee phobic.....not a good mix.

My usual trick is as I enter the enclosure, I stop and tell them I am the one who is going to look after them and tell them to use their manners.....worked so far lol

They will probably be a tad tetchy, at this time of year they are anyway.

 

[Silly Bee]

ps

Don't stay in there to longanyway, not much point IMO, as they are slowing down and unlikely to swarm.

A quick check on stores, larva/eggs will probably do.

 

[oliver90owner]

I would put my money on Victor Meldrew's see-through tunnel; wasps are stupid and can see the bees inside, so spend a lot of time trying to get through the mesh, while still effective the opaque tube will not stop the wasps looking for the entrance... Anyway, that 's my take on it.

Not tried it and don't expect to need to this year, as, apart from one nuc sized colony (which will be in a 6-frame jumbo Langstroth, converted to 14 x 12, polynuc tomorrow), all the rest are perfectly able to repel all boarders with just entrances reduced to about 50mm or a bit more.

Those with any weak colonies should be strengthening them now with hatching brood or extra bees, if at all possible. Well, a bit late I suppose, but better late than risk losing them.

Regards, RAB

 

[kazmcc]

Went down to narrow the entrance further. We narrowed down to about 3 cms. The ply we narrowed with doesn't block completely on one side, as the entrance is slightly wider on the left. So the main entrance is 3cm, but a slim bee can gain access along the left for a little stretch along the block, if you get what I mean.

I was dreading the approach, not knowing what I'd find. Thankfully, the girls were still busy getting on with foraging, and there wasn't as many wasps present. There were still a few though, and still some battles going on on the ground, but nowhere near as many as yesterday. I put a few traps around the enclosure, and watched for a while. We haven't opened the hive, and our mentor can't make it until next week, so we'll just have to wait and see if there is any internal damage. Doubt it though, they dealt with the problem well. Bees were well behaved as usual. Allowed us to stand around and observe with no bother.

One thing I was a bit peed off with, after one battle, where one of my girls honourable gave up her life to take out an intruder, another horrible wasp came along, sniffed her dead body, grasped her with it's claws, and flew off with her! The nerve! I couldn't believe my eyes. This just made me more determined to aid the bees in their fight against the trespassers.

An eye will be kept on them, but they seem to be taking it in their stride. Just me ( as usual ) getting a het up over nothing lol. Thanks for all your help and patience though, as I know this subject has been covered many times before. I think one of Victors contraptions would be a useful peice of kit to have though, so will get one made.

Thanks again

 

[oliver90owner]

Seal that bit where a bee can squeeze in; if a bee can get through, a wasp can too - and that area may not be so well guarded by the colony.

Regards, RAB

 

[biggles]

Hi
Sealed mine up as the tube didn't work. My hive was a full hive, that I took two frames out of two weeks ago. One of sores and one of brood, to help another colony. It had a super full and capped. It now has a nearly empty super and bees on 60% of the frames. the entrance was at about 30cm. I last checked them 8 days ago when I put Api life in and they were fine.

I have seven jam jars around 8 hives. This morning two of them were full, it was hard to get more water in to drowned them on top.

I'll leave them closed for the next few days and try and put more bees in Monday or Tuesday.

I hope your don't get this bad Kazmcc.

Pete

 

[SixFooter]

I've several frame nucs that seem to be coping well, but a min nuc that isnt. I've reduced the entrance by 1/2 but the wasps are still going in. Would a small tunnel made of a bit of mesh floor work?

 

[oliver90owner]

SixFooter,

Doubtful. Refer back to post #32.

Regards, RAB

 

[biggles]

2 hr and the jam jar is full so now I have an old fermenting bin down there. How many wasps can I kill in one day?

 

[oliver90owner]

If you can locate the nest(s), (nearly) all of them!

Regards, RAB

 

[biggles]

Morning RAB
Just looked in the hive to see if they need more food, as the only feeder I had was a 2.5ltr. They still look very nostalgic and not taken any feed. There are now a few bees in the super and they have spread out a bit. Is this normal?
On a good note I only found one wasp in the hive and hoping to get more bees Monday.


Sorry Kazmcc I hope you don't mind me butting in on your thread.

Ta
Pete