Plonk

[Karol]

Hi Guys,

This is probably against forum rules so this thread might get canned. Anyway, I'm looking for more video footage of wasps roosting that I can use to augment my own footage for educational purposes. Roosting is defined as sheltering for the night in the absence of a nest - preferably adult worker wasps rather than sexual progeny. A bottle of reasonable plonk for any footage I can use.

Kind regards,

Karol

 

[Hachi]

Hi Guys,

This is probably against forum rules so this thread might get canned. Anyway, I'm looking for more video footage of wasps roosting that I can use to augment my own footage for educational purposes. Roosting is defined as sheltering for the night in the absence of a nest - preferably adult worker wasps rather than sexual progeny. A bottle of reasonable plonk for any footage I can use.

Kind regards,

Karol

People would probably prefer free samples of your products Karol. I for one am teetotal

 

[Karol]

Happy to oblige either way. I didn't suggest that because I don't want to fall foul of forum rules.

 

[Millet]

There's not many left near me as i kill them on sight.. i must release a wasp hate human pheromone as i get stung on average 4 times per year for no apparent reason.. so that makes me slightly paranoid when i see them... which mean's if they fly near me or try to check me out they are dead..
I do however try to save many wintering wasp's when working on houses where the woodwork (soffit's and facias) are getting renewed as them places seem to hold a lot.
I have never noticed a roosting spot though..what is one of them..?.

 

[kazmcc]

You are quite welcome to my only two pics of a Dolichovespula sylvestris female roosting for the night. I have hardly seen any wasps this year This is all I have in my records as far as wasps go. I don't know if she is a queen or not though, but they are there if you would like to use them They zoom in quite nicely. These pics were taken at about 9:30pm - 10pm mid summer. I can look up exact date if needed.

 

[Fahey]

A little off topic but I have some great pictures of two wasps mating which I managed to snap a few years ago, if they are any good to you

 

[ultreen1]

I had loads of wasps grouped together in the corner of my bee shed, I got the blow torch out and quickly blasted them. They seem to have left the shed since Tuesday but I had them everywhere.
I would have filmed them for you if I knew. Sorry.

 

[kazmcc]

I had loads of wasps grouped together in the corner of my bee shed, I got the blow torch out and quickly blasted them. They seem to have left the shed since Tuesday but I had them everywhere.
I would have filmed them for you if I knew. Sorry.

That's just horrible. Why would you do that?

 

[ultreen1]

That's just horrible. Why would you do that?

To get rid of them.

 

[Erichalfbee]

That's just horrible.

 

[ultreen1]

Agree or not I did it...guilty! Yep horrible!

I killed a group of wasps instantly! Maybe I should have left them finish out their season in whatever prolonged manner nature decides!

If I get the same amount of wasps in my shed next year I will do exactly the same! I'll just film it for Karol before I do the "horrible" deed!

not

 

[Thymallus]

I wouldn't say you did wrong. Wasps and bees in the wrong places can cause very inconvenient problems that need to be dealt with.

 

[kazmcc]

I'm having this argument too often, I give up. Just remember though, next year when next door is spraying his prized blooms with pesticides, don't moan when it affects your bees. There are loads of things you can do to help your bees against wasps, and they do have their place. They are pretty vital insects.

 

[ultreen1]

I'm having this argument too often, I give up. Just remember though, next year when next door is spraying his prized blooms with pesticides, don't moan when it affects your bees. There are loads of things you can do to help your bees against wasps, and they do have their place. They are pretty vital insects.

You will get it one day...

Hundreds of wasps in my shed, chewing through my wooden boxes to get to the combs inside, that's a pest! A nuisance!

My bees, FYI, are fine against wasps...it's my shed they seem obsessed with not my colonies!
The wasps in my shed are all after the last bits of honey in my frames...doesn't that mean the queen has stopped laying and they're on thier own??

Maybe I should let wax moth infest my combs and accept its the natural order of things!!! Oh, and varroa for that matter!!

 

[Karol]

Thank you to everyone who's replied. The offer will remain open until further notice (probably into next year).

I don't like seeing wasps killed unnecessarily but there does come a time when it's necessary on grounds of health. Wasps are a dangerous insect and people should not take risks around them.

When it comes to despatching wasps then a blow torch is actually probably one of the more humane and cleanest methods even if it does sound horrendous and present a fire hazard. (I think it was last year that one of the forum members managed to destroy their apiary through fire). I have conducted research into the use of pesticides and it took several hours for exposed wasps to die and in that time it was very evident that they were cramping up from the poison. So not only are pesticides not that great ecologically but they're not particularly humane.

It should also be remembered that wasps are a super organism and therefore despatching workers when they are sweet feeding won't have any appreciable effect on wasp numbers especially because those workers are already starting to starve to death.

It doesn't sound as though you have roosting wasps ultreen1. Thank you anyway for your offer of film footage but I'm really only interested at this stage in getting video footage of roosting wasps.

Kind regards,

Karol

 

[kazmcc]

Thank you to everyone who's replied. The offer will remain open until further notice (probably into next year).

I don't like seeing wasps killed unnecessarily but there does come a time when it's necessary on grounds of health. Wasps are a dangerous insect and people should not take risks around them.

When it comes to despatching wasps then a blow torch is actually probably one of the more humane and cleanest methods even if it does sound horrendous and present a fire hazard. (I think it was last year that one of the forum members managed to destroy their apiary through fire). I have conducted research into the use of pesticides and it took several hours for exposed wasps to die and in that time it was very evident that they were cramping up from the poison. So not only are pesticides not that great ecologically but they're not particularly humane.

It should also be remembered that wasps are a super organism and therefore despatching workers when they are sweet feeding won't have any appreciable effect on wasp numbers especially because those workers are already starting to starve to death.

It doesn't sound as though you have roosting wasps ultreen1. Thank you anyway for your offer of film footage but I'm really only interested at this stage in getting video footage of roosting wasps.

Kind regards,

Karol

Hmm, still don't like it. But I get your point. I just don't like to hear of anything being burned alive.

ultreen1, I get it. When I had my bees they were under attack from wasps and being so new, I felt so helpless. I used to be terrified of them, but have been learning about them this year, and have been getting into recording bees and wasps. I am getting so much out of it, which is probably why that comment upset me so much. I have one wasp picture this year. The ones posted above. I haven't seen many at all here, and I've been out all summer recording. I don't know why because everyone else thinks it's been a good year for them.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I haven't seen many at all here

Same.......ish here.
Some exploring the OMF, a few in Karol's traps....quite a few in one, but none chancing the entrances.

 

[kazmcc]

I haven't seen many at all here

Same.......ish here.
Some exploring the OMF, a few in Karol's traps....quite a few in one, but none chancing the entrances.

It's frustrating. I'm getting really good at identifying the social wasps but would like some practice in the field. I'd probably change my tune if I had bees and they were terrorising them lol

 

[Torq]

I've had to take care of some wasps a couple of days ago. My version of the blowtorch method is to use a small kitchen blowtorch as a source of ignition and a can of wd40 as the fuel. Spray the wd40 onto the wasps while using the blowtorch to ignite it. It works like a cross between a flamethrower and a napalm strike as it continues to burn when you've stopped spraying. Very effective but obviously you have to be carefull that you don't ignite whatever the wasps are on.

Wasps in the spring = great.
Wasps in Autumn = pest.

 

[beeno]

I have probably killed between 3,000 and 4,000 wasps this season as they have troubled the bees. Now they are picking off single bees coming back laden to the hives. Thankfully there are a lot less of them now than earlier on.