Old wasp nest as a deterrent?

[Panteg]

I have been given a huge old wasp nest by a neighbour who says if I hang it up near my hives it will deter wasps from the area! Anyone heard of this? Does it work? This is my fourth season beekeeping and the first that I have had any real problem with wasps. I have done all the usual things, reduced the entrances, put out wasp traps etc, but my smaller hive is still being plagued and I have nowhere else to move it to.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not an expert (I'm sure he'll be along later to put us right) but I've heard something the same - I believe you can buy dummy wasps nest for the purpose of keeping the bleeders away. I think it's something to do with territorial limits around the nest

 

[Hivemaker.]

but my smaller hive is still being plagued and I have nowhere else to move it to.

You are welcome to move it down here, there are no wasps here at all so far.

 

[Panteg]

You are welcome to move it down here, there are no wasps here at all so far.

Thanks Hivemaker, Exmoor is a lovely part of the world I'm sure my bees would love it!
I have hung up the nest just to see what happens - not a lot yet, still loads of wasps, I'm emptying the full wasp traps every couple of days. We had a frost here on Monday but the cold nights don't seem to be making much difference either.

 

[enrico]

I had wasps in my hive this morning while outside temp was 5 degrees. Bees were not even awake. They were in and out constantly. Now the bees have woken up they are keeping them out but I reckon I must have lost quite a bit of honey in the early morning!
E

 

[Amari]

Not an expert (I'm sure he'll be along later to put us right) but I've heard something the same - I believe you can buy dummy wasps nest for the purpose of keeping the bleeders away. I think it's something to do with territorial limits around the nest

Bought two a couple of years ago. Certainly did not stop the wasps so not deployed since.
BTW: no wasps here either this year.

 

[Tremyfro]

We have had a few wasps around the hives...especially when we have the hives open. We bought a waspbane.....caught loads of flies...horse flies etc...great for the horses....no wasps tho. Then my husband found a way of emptying it for reuse. We put a bottle of beer, orange juice, sugar and some yeast in it. Now we have caught some wasps. At least they are only the odd one or two...having a look for the main chance...so far.

 

[Panteg]

We have had a few wasps around the hives...especially when we have the hives open. We bought a waspbane.....caught loads of flies...horse flies etc...great for the horses....no wasps tho. Then my husband found a way of emptying it for reuse. We put a bottle of beer, orange juice, sugar and some yeast in it. Now we have caught some wasps. At least they are only the odd one or two...having a look for the main chance...so far.

Save you money! Try just making a hole in an old jam jar lid, add a bit of water and old jam/marmalade to the jar and put it near the base of the hive. (Never honey - the bees will try and take it).
I have been emptying full jars of wasps and a few flies over the last few days. It never fails - the wasps can't resist the smell of jam and once through the hole eventually drown - very satisfying!!. Mind you there are plenty more still bothering my bees!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Save you money! Try just making a hole in an old jam jar lid, add a bit of water and old jam/marmalade to the jar and put it near the base of the hive. (Never honey - the bees will try and take it).
...................................................... Mind you there are plenty more still bothering my bees!

Probably that's why - you are attracting more than you're killing

 

[Karol]

We have had a few wasps around the hives...especially when we have the hives open. We bought a waspbane.....caught loads of flies...horse flies etc...great for the horses....no wasps tho. Then my husband found a way of emptying it for reuse. We put a bottle of beer, orange juice, sugar and some yeast in it. Now we have caught some wasps. At least they are only the odd one or two...having a look for the main chance...so far.

When wasps are in their hunting phase they will generally ignore WaspBane because they will be focused on catching insects to feed their brood. That said, the odd hunting wasp may go in after any flies caught in the trap. Given that most wasps are still hunting at the moment it's not surprising that not many wasps have been caught as yet. One situation where wasps will be caught is where wasp nests have been treated in the local vicinity and the treatment has precipitated sweet feeding nuisance wasps.

The WaspBane trap employs condenser technology to help prevent it from drying out. In other words, moisture evaporating from within the bait chamber is condensed within the trap so as to minimise the amount of moisture that escapes (- helps save on maintenance). This is important because if a bait liquid is added which contains water locked flavours or sugars then these will also condense within the trap so that wasps don't detect any aroma leaving the trap. That is why the makers recommend using a mixture of lager, water and honey because the 'volatiles' within this concoction escape the trap (i.e. are not condensed within the trap) and so are detectable by wasps. Anyone using the product to protect hives is encouraged to read the beekeeping section of the website to ensure that they get the most out of their trap (and don't accidentally catch bees) but more importantly to understand different integrated wasp management techniques to be used around hives including other wasp proofing measures.

 

[Amari]

My wasp bane has caught several hornets again this year. This was pleasing when I first used the device 2 years ago but having read several posts on this forum defending hornets I now regret it

 

[Karol]

My wasp bane has caught several hornets again this year. This was pleasing when I first used the device 2 years ago but having read several posts on this forum defending hornets I now regret it

Yes this is regrettable but there is a consolation which is not immediately obvious. Because the hornets can't escape they can't recruit their colleagues so actually, very few of them are caught by comparison to low efficiency traps. Best of both worlds?