Robbers and Vicks Vapour Rub

[Skylark]

Hello everyone

I seem to be having lots of wasp and robber bees plagueing the hive at the moment. I read some tips on the net that include

"Some beekeepers reduce the entrance dramatically, preferably with screen
wire and spray the alighting board of the victimized hive with a salt
solution. The robbers will resent it and return to their own hive. Some use
Vicks Vaporub around the entrance to confuse the robbers from
approaching the hive because they cannot smell the hive."

Anyone tried Vicks ? or the salt idea do they really work ?

 

[OXFORDBEE]

Apparently spraying the hive entrance with a weak solution of dettol is quite good. Bees hate TCP. The robbed colony has to put up with it. The robbers get bumped off when they get home with their ill gotten gains as they don't smell right...!

I've never used this method. I reduce entrances. However, the person who recommended this idea was John Powell who was an extemely good beekeeper...

 

[Skylark]

I've also read about Robber Screens which seem a great idea but I cant find any company that sells them after trawling the net. Anyone know where to get one ?

 

[justme]

I've read about, and it seems to work, placing a sheet of glass or similar over the entrance. Confuses the wasps but the home bees deal with it. Not sure about robber bees though. Reduced entrance also.
For wasps then a homemade wasp trap is essential I think. Bottle with hole apart way down the neck, containing a mixture of rotten fruit n water or ribena, jam n cyder vinegar

 

[psafloyd]

I've read about, and it seems to work, placing a sheet of glass or similar over the entrance. Confuses the wasps but the home bees deal with it. Not sure about robber bees though. Reduced entrance also.
For wasps then a homemade wasp trap is essential I think. Bottle with hole apart way down the neck, containing a mixture of rotten fruit n water or ribena, jam n cyder vinegar

I used this trick effectively against wasp last year. Don't think it would work on bees, mind.

 

[Skylark]

The Vicks seems to have halted the Wasp onslaught not seen more than the odd one near the hive today and none near the entrance. However seen a few more robber bees today flying aimlessly around. Maybe this is becuase they are disoriented and not getting into the hive,they seem to be hovering around for ages but only the odd one making it into the hive. I also put a mint plant outside the hive as I read this distracts the wasps.

 

[For want of a better word]

How do you get a Tom Cat to Pee over the hive entrance???

 

[DarynWebb]

How do you get a Tom Cat to Pee over the hive entrance???

It's just like playing the bagpipe?