Revenge of the wasps

[Brian Bush]

I note that others are having wasp issues this year. Mine all came to a head this week.
On Sunday my beekeeping buddy said she had located a wasp nest in a disused hive. I have been having a series of eye operations and have been leaving Sylvia to check the hives in the main apiary.
Monday morning I went down to confirm her sighting and found another nest in the Apiary.
A quick call to my favourite Pest Control lady and she turned up and exterminated them.
Tuesday morning I burnt the contaminated frames and a couple of old supers that contained the nest and dead wasps.
There were a few stray wasps around so Wednesday I made up some wasp traps and my patent liquid to attract them.
I took it down in the afternoon only to find the apiary swarming with wasps and they had taken out a fairly strong NUC in a day. All the bees killed and hundreds entering and leaving the NUC.
I have stategically placed the traps and if they are there in numbers today I will move the other NUCs to another apiary. I am unable to trace this nest, I sat and watched for an hour yesterday but could not see a flying pattern.

 

[Ian123]

Whilst many have not recommended traps in an apiary or have discussed what is or isn’t a high efficiency trap if I place a load of traps in an apiary I remove the issue. I’ve very rarely seen any wasp get out a well made bottle trap and over the years it’s worked.

 

[Do224]

Whilst many have not recommended traps in an apiary or have discussed what is or isn’t a high efficiency trap if I place a load of traps in an apiary I remove the issue. I’ve very rarely seen any wasp get out a well made bottle trap and over the years it’s worked.

What does a well made bottle trap look like?

 

[RogerIvy]

I’ve tried traps about 20-30m from my apiary and that seems to do the trick. I also changed most of my hives to UFE and the rest reduced the entrance and so far no problems with colonies being overcome.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The great advantage of UFEs is that you can make the entrance slot a little way back and if there is a real problem with wasps you can block the porch off right to the back leaving just one or two bee spaces thus creating a tunnel.

 

[enrico]

What does a well made bottle trap look like?

You can buy cheap inserts that go into plastic bottles on eBay. They work a treat. I will try and find a link
Just like this but not necessarily from this seller. Cheapest sweetest high alcohol cider is the best trap liquid
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5pcs-Reu...c-fc97-4551-9a71-d65593bbccb4&redirect=mobile

 

[Malcolm B.]

Wasps always return to their nest in a straight line.
Watch for a wasp flying in a straight line and stand nearby.
Follow the next one as far as you can see it and then stop there and wait for the next one.
Follow that one a short distance and then wait again.
Rinse and repeat until you can see them disappear into their nest.
Wait until dusk or darkness before destroying them.

Our son has found dozens of wasps nests for me in that way.
It usually takes him about fifteen to twenty minutes to discover their nest - sometimes it's quicker and sometimes it takes longer. It just depends on how many wasps are in the air from a particular nest.

Good Hunting!

Malcolm B.

 

[user 20297]

I know where my local wasp nest is......it's above my garage. They move along a bit each year and I've never found a need to remove even the old nests.
Their futile raids give my guard-bees something to do.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have guard bees

 

[Sutty]

Wow! Looks like a very full hive!
Would need a suicidal wasp with an exploding belt!

 

[RogerIvy]

In my UFE I use dowels to very easily and quickly change the entrance size

 

[Ian123]

What does a well made bottle trap look like?

Just a simple bottle top up turned with some duct tape to close any holes… it’s nothing complicated but they work!

 

[Malcolm B.]

I know where my local wasp nest is......it's above my garage. They move along a bit each year and I've never found a need to remove even the old nests.
Their futile raids give my guard-bees something to do.

Where we used to live was surrounded with woodland, so wasps often became a serious pest because there were so many nests .

We had a hornet's nest in an old building and they never bothered us or the bees - so we didn't bother them.

This year we have a wasps nest under some tiles on the roof of our bungalow. If they behave themselves and leave the bees alone, I'll leave them alone to carry on all the useful work they do controlling other insects. However, if they begin to act like stroppy hooligans, punishment will be swift and effective.

Wasps have variable temperaments in exactly the same way as bees (and most other animals, including humans). Some wasp nests can house delinquent hooligans, marauding at will. Whilst others can be demure and well-bred ladies, keeping themselves to themselves and just getting on with their lives.

Malcolm B.

 

[Do224]

Just a simple bottle top up turned with some duct tape to close any holes… it’s nothing complicated but they work!

Can’t picture what you mean…so a regular narrow topped bottle, say a beer bottle, with some bait liquid inside? Where does the duct tape go?

 

[Ian123]

Take a plastic water type bottle….. cut the top few inches off….. invert into rest of bottle. Run some tape around the cut edges toe seal. Fill with a couple of inches of your liquid bait.

 

[Erichalfbee]

In my UFE I use dowels to very easily and quickly change the entrance size

View attachment 37025

If you block off the porch right up to the entrance apart from an inch or so you get a good tunnel which can be lined with guard bees

 

[Sutty]

Punch some small holes around the top with a hot wire/skewer to make the exit less obvious

 

[JamezF]

Take a plastic water type bottle….. cut the top few inches off….. invert into rest of bottle. Run some tape around the cut edges toe seal. Fill with a couple of inches of your liquid bait.

We don't even bother with the tape. Ideally you put the lid on having drilled a wasp-sized hole it in so hornets can't get in and then leave some small holes so smaller insects can get out, otherwise it can be quite indiscriminate.

James

 

[user 23149]

What does a well made bottle trap look like?

Take a large 2 litre soda bottle and cut the top off right where it starts to go straight down and flip it over to create a funnel (don't push it down as far as in the photo). I have used 'full fat' coke in these directly under the hive (under the table rather than under the entrance) and it worked a treat! Depending on the time of year, the Coke doesn't always work, I have seen notes of using jam as well - as long as it doesn't smell like something the honeybees want.

You can actually use any size soda bottle but the big ones hold more.

 

[madasafish]

A drop of vinegar in the trap bait mix deters bees.