The Wasp - a definition

[blackbrood]

Quite clearly the artist that created this image was not a beekeeper.

standing still and do nothing is not an option

 

[Finman]

.
It seems to have 2 wings. So it is wasp mimicing flye.
It has no jaws either.

 

[Midland Beek]

Wasps are important creatures. They catch huge quantities of flying insects. Maybe if there was a better balance and more wasps, farmers would not have to spray huge quantities of wildlife poisons to kill unwanted insects.

 

[victor meldrew]

Wasps are important creatures. They catch huge quantities of flying insects. Maybe if there was a better balance and more wasps, farmers would not have to spray huge quantities of wildlife poisons to kill unwanted insects.

Also they do a better job of pollinating balsam than the honey bee ,they start earlier and finish later

John Wilkinson

 

[blackbrood]

not one so far has convinced me to stop killing the little blighters. I will still be putting my wasp traps out this year and making new ones

 

[victor meldrew]

Me also , I don't want them upsetting my apiary but in the general scheme of things they are better left to get on with life .
Too many gardeners out of sheer ignorance and fear ,attack the poor old wasp on sight

John Wilkinson

 

[oliver90owner]

Blackbrood,

Why?

Run only strong colonies later in the season and you should have no trouble from wasps that the bees can't handle for you.

I did not employ (or is it deploy?) any this last season and not even any problem with the developing colony that was only about 3m away from from a wasp nest in the ground. Only noticed them late in the season and I did dose them two weeks later, but ploughed/cultivated in shortly after, anyway.

Another (only 4-5 m from some other hives) had not bothered the bees. I only found that one late in the season as well.

It is only when they are out of control that they become a pest to the beekeeper. My control is mostly aimed at reducing the number of urban nests early in the season.

Regards, RAB

 

[Somerford]

I was also thinking that the writer of the anti wasp piece sounded rather red-necked, and from the effing and blinding camp of education !

S

 

[victor meldrew]

the effing and blinding camp of education

This is the American English grammar you're citing

John Wilkinson

 

[blackbrood]

Blackbrood,

Why?
B

First season, had 2 colonies, 1 a swarm and 1 a nuke and neither really took off. Got em mid season and to say the wasps never stopped trying to hammer them is an understatement.

I located late in the season 3 wasps nest, 1 was the size of a couple of footballs possibly a little larger and 1 the size of one football and 1 was under concrete, so no idea how big. The large one about 6yards away from colonies, the other two with in 100yards. I still think there are some other nests near by but still have to locate them.

On top of that I had about 10+ traps sets up at various points during the summer and I killed 1000's of wasps in them, regularly removing wasps and occasionally changing sugar water and changing location. I was surprised at how many wasps were about. 6 traps were on top of the 2 hives because before I started trapping every time I went to the hives there would be 5 or 6 and some times more wasps flying around and landing on the hives and annoying the bees and me. So the traps went on and then it quickly dropped to 2or3 wasps and eventually got down to the occasional 1

It is the worst year I have known for wasps where I keep the hives. They were in the garden, the house, the paddocks, the yards and barns, they were a serious menace.

I hope it will not be as bad next year but the traps will go out earlier and I will be more proactive in my wasp nest searches. I am getting quite adept at wasp nest killing,

BB

 

[MJBee]

May I suggest that you deploy your wasp traps from Mid FEBRUARY until mid MAY. Any wasps and/or hornets you catch will be Queens and removing them reduces the number of August wasps by thousands

 

[victor meldrew]

Wasps/ hornets are territorial insects , knocking the queens off before nest building would only serve to provide a wasp free zone to attract even more queens, queens that would be useful in areas away from your hives .
I reiterate, wasps are useful in the grand scheme of things and I don't advocate wholesale destruction .

John Wilkinson

 

[biggles]

The only good wasp is a dead one. Good for nothing

 

[victor meldrew]

The only good wasp is a dead one. Good for nothing

The type of glib response of the ignorant I'm afraid .
Nature is a cohesive structure obviously beyond the reasoning of the ones displaying tunnel vision !

John Wilkinson

 

[blackbrood]

Wasps/ hornets are territorial insects , knocking the queens off before nest building would only serve to provide a wasp free zone to attract even more queens, queens that would be useful in areas away from your hives .
I reiterate, wasps are useful in the grand scheme of things and I don't advocate wholesale destruction .

John Wilkinson

I agree JW , everything has a purpose but the issues I faced last year had to be dealt with and I do not want a repetition this year. Everything in moderation.

 

[victor meldrew]

I agree JW , everything has a purpose but the issues I faced last year had to be dealt with and I do not want a repetition this year. Everything in moderation.

Absolutely I also keep my apiary as clear of wasps as I can at the appropriate time

John Wilkinson

 

[Finman]

Do I have two wasp as avatar