Should I put out wasp traps?

[hombal]

I have just recieved a brilliant nuc of bees from plunderer and have put them into my hive. I just saw a bee wrestling a wasp and then I saw a wasp snooping about the nuc box (now removed). I have put an entrace limiter on the hive but should I be putting out traps? Are there too many wasps? I spotted these two wasps over a period of about 2 minutes.

 

[enrico]

Won't do any harm and may do some good!!! They can be little b*****ds!

 

[hombal]

Okay, ill put some out. I just saw a wasp and bee fighting to the death...

 

[Midland Beek]

No nuc obtained at the end of July is brilliant.

Make sure the occupied frames are near the hive entrance so that the bees actually guard the hive entrance. If the occupied frames are not near the entrance the entrance will not be guarded and wasps will get in.

Reduce entrance to 2 or 3 bee-ways.

Waps traps attract wasps from miles around.

 

[hombal]

Nice way to burst my bubble! I see no problem with the nuc, although I am a novice *blush*. The entrance is reduced to about that much. The occupied frames are 1 frame of foundation away from the entrance, is that okay? I don't want to disturb them for at least a few days...

 

[hombal]

I know that this is not to do with the title of my thread but I just checked the board that I placed under the mesh floor and found lots sticky white stuff and a dead bee. Is this normal? I could not find anything other than that...i.e. varroa, but I did not look THAT closely.

 

[Midland Beek]

It might be tiny fragments of wax and droplets of nectar/syrup.

I think the advice would be to feed a newly installed nuc. But you have to be careful not to attract wasps. Do not spill any syrup about - wash away if you do. Do not fanny around when topping up feeder. Do not open up the guts of your colony if there is no need; it can attract wasps.

Wasps are stronger and more agile than bees. A wasp might kill a half dozen guard bees before the bees kill the wasp.

 

[kazmcc]

I found just inspecting has attracted the wasps yesterday, but we have that much honey on you can smell it a mile off! All you can do is limit the size of the entrance and maybe try and set traps, do your utmost best not to spill anything or leave anything lying around that you remove from the hive, be as quick as you safely can with inspections and having the hive open, see if you can spot any nests about the area, the rest is down to the bees. Last year was the first time I saw wasps trying their luck with the bees, and I was heartbroken. I know a bit more about it this year, and it's good to see my bees are onto the wasps pretty sharpish. It's down to them now.

Good luck with your bees