Underfloor-entrance hives failing to keep out wasps

[Amari]

As others have said on here, it seems to be a bad year for wasps in many areas. For me certainly the worst for nearly five decades. For the last few years nearly all my hives sit on homemade UFEs of JBM's design. As I've previously posted, I have narrowed the within-hive 8mm entrance slit to 10cm instead of the slit stretching the whole width of the hive.

The gospel I preach to my neighbouring beeks is that the UFE is easier for the bees to guard against wasps, also it is mouse-proof.

Sadly this year several hives are being invaded by wasps - and still are this week. They are buzzing round the UFEs and in many cases I can see 2-3 wasps through the polycarbonate crown boards. Some hives seem very light on hefting.

I can't think of anything to do. I have tried poking sponge into the slit via the outer entrance but this is a difficult manipulation. I've put a perspex sheet in front of one hive but it isn't helping. Using a conduit baffle is not possible with UFEs.

Grateful for your thoughts.

 

[Ian123]

As others have said on here, it seems to be a bad year for wasps in many areas. For me certainly the worst for nearly five decades. For the last few years nearly all my hives sit on homemade UFEs of JBM's design. As I've previously posted, I have narrowed the within-hive 8mm entrance slit to 10cm instead of the slit stretching the whole width of the hive.

The gospel I preach to my neighbouring beeks is that the UFE is easier for the bees to guard against wasps, also it is mouse-proof.

Sadly this year several hives are being invaded by wasps - and still are this week. They are buzzing round the UFEs and in many cases I can see 2-3 wasps through the polycarbonate crown boards. Some hives seem very light on hefting.

I can't think of anything to do. I have tried poking sponge into the slit via the outer entrance but this is a difficult manipulation. I've put a perspex sheet in front of one hive but it isn't helping. Using a conduit baffle is not possible with UFEs.

Grateful for your thoughts.

Try sitting frames containing brood directly over entrance whole, I’ve not had the need to make underfloor entrances my home made nucs run on 18mm tunnel about 50 mm in length. All I do during late inspections on hives is reduce with some foam and position frames of brood right by the front door. It works for me. I would guess during colder spells your bees are clustered around the brood area leaving the front door unattended. I’ve seen it happen on dbl boxes with most the bees brood in the top box.

 

[Erichalfbee]

As others have said on here, it seems to be a bad year for wasps in many areas. For me certainly the worst for nearly five decades. For the last few years nearly all my hives sit on homemade UFEs of JBM's design. As I've previously posted, I have narrowed the within-hive 8mm entrance slit to 10cm instead of the slit stretching the whole width of the hive.

The gospel I preach to my neighbouring beeks is that the UFE is easier for the bees to guard against wasps, also it is mouse-proof.

Sadly this year several hives are being invaded by wasps - and still are this week. They are buzzing round the UFEs and in many cases I can see 2-3 wasps through the polycarbonate crown boards. Some hives seem very light on hefting.

I can't think of anything to do. I have tried poking sponge into the slit via the outer entrance but this is a difficult manipulation. I've put a perspex sheet in front of one hive but it isn't helping. Using a conduit baffle is not possible with UFEs.

Grateful for your thoughts.

Narrow the whole porch except a bee space so that you have a long tunnel to your entrance slot.
Move the hive aside one hive’s width and put a waspbane in its place.
Are the wasps getting out though by the way.

 

[Amari]

Narrow the whole porch except a bee space so that you have a long tunnel to your entrance slot.
Move the hive aside one hive’s width and put a waspbane in its place.
Are the wasps getting out though by the way.

I can't be sure if they're getting out because it's nigh on impossible to observe the internal slit from the porch. Not easy to narrow the whole porch except by ??closing it with a sheet of ply pierced by a hole?? Good thought to deploy a WaspBane - I have two.

 

[madasafish]

I lost one large hives with UF entrance to wasps. Once they started, I tried everything but to no avail.

 

[Amari]

Try sitting frames containing brood directly over entrance whole, I’ve not had the need to make underfloor entrances my home made nucs run on 18mm tunnel about 50 mm in length. All I do during late inspections on hives is reduce with some foam and position frames of brood right by the front door. It works for me. I would guess during colder spells your bees are clustered around the brood area leaving the front door unattended. I’ve seen it happen on dbl boxes with most the bees brood in the top box.

Thanks. My frames are the cold way so maybe more difficult to place the brood next to the entrance slit? However you've given me food for thought: all my brood boxes sit on nadired shallows (pace JBM & Dani). I think I'll reverse the nadirs. I dislike disrupting the colonies at this time of year but I've no choice.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

all my brood boxes sit on nadired shallows

When did you nadir them? it may be they're packed with stores still so the wasps are having a robbing spree whilst the bees are protecting the nest?
If you want to reduce the entrance to a narrow tunnel entrance, use a length of furniture foam 4" square in section.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I wouldn’t do anything with the brood frames. I’m sure the bees have arranged the nest with brood at the entrance already.

I have nadired one shallow only this year.
It had uncapped frames and was empty within days.
If your nadirs are full of stores then move them. They will be impossible to defend.

 

[Newbeeneil]

It's interesting that it's on a warm way hive. I have a few wasps going into the UFE on my long hive which of course is the warm way. They are just a few desperate stragglers and are not a problem to the hive.
Interestingly whilst at RHS Wisley yesterday there were a few bees around but the wasps were all over the camellias.

 

[Erichalfbee]

(pace JBM & Dani).

No offence taken

 

[Ian123]

One reason why I wonder about this recent fascination of nadiring supers. When it gets cold and they cluster around the brood in the box on top who’s left guarding the front door!!!

 

[Amari]

It's interesting that it's on a warm way hive. I have a few wasps going into the UFE on my long hive which of course is the warm way. They are just a few desperate stragglers and are not a problem to the hive.
Interestingly whilst at RHS Wisley yesterday there were a few bees around but the wasps were all over the camellias.

No, cold way

 

[Amari]

When did you nadir them? it may be they're packed with stores still so the wasps are having a robbing spree whilst the bees are protecting the nest?
If you want to reduce the entrance to a narrow tunnel entrance, use a length of furniture foam 4" square in section.

c. 4 weeksago
Yes, maybe I'm going to have to rethink nadiring - after c. 20 years....

 

[Amari]

Thanks for these helpful replies. I'm amazed at your diligence: I've been slow to reply because SHMBO dragged me into the kitchen to listen to the latest news from Philadelphia et al. Wrong section of the Forum to say so but I have a feeling of schadenfreude/ if you're in a hole, stop digging......

 

[Newbeeneil]

No, cold way

Sorry, for some reason read it cometely wrong ... doh!

 

[charlievictorbravo]

As others have said on here, it seems to be a bad year for wasps in many areas. For me certainly the worst for nearly five decades. For the last few years nearly all my hives sit on homemade UFEs of JBM's design. As I've previously posted, I have narrowed the within-hive 8mm entrance slit to 10cm instead of the slit stretching the whole width of the hive.

The gospel I preach to my neighbouring beeks is that the UFE is easier for the bees to guard against wasps, also it is mouse-proof.

Sadly this year several hives are being invaded by wasps - and still are this week. They are buzzing round the UFEs and in many cases I can see 2-3 wasps through the polycarbonate crown boards. Some hives seem very light on hefting.

I can't think of anything to do. I have tried poking sponge into the slit via the outer entrance but this is a difficult manipulation. I've put a perspex sheet in front of one hive but it isn't helping. Using a conduit baffle is not possible with UFEs.

Grateful for your thoughts.

I have had UFEs for over six years and this year is the first when I felt the need to close up the atrium to protect the bees from wasps.

What I did six weeks ago was fashion a piece of plywood to block the whole atrium/landing area but left a small (30 x 30mm) hole in one corner. That seemed to turn the tide and after a while the wasps seemed to give up their mass attacks although the occasional solo wasps tried its luck. I'm now hopeful that the colonies will survive this winter.

CVB

 

[derekm]

When it comes to pests and predators "think tree". Honey bees have all their evolution dealing with mice and wasps. So make their entrance a tunnel, make the nest insulated bottom entrance only no vents and dont rearrange their nest after the last flow. They "know" best.
I spend vast amount of computer time on heat transfer simulation and I keep finding honey bees had the optimal solution all the time. They've "been there done that". So why should wasp defence bee the same?

 

[Bassett]

For 3 years I'ved reduced the entrance using sponge and using a length of plastic pop bottle pinned across the entrance seems to keep the wasp out. Cheap solution.

 

[Ian123]

When it comes to pests and predators "think tree". Honey bees have all their evolution dealing with mice and wasps.

You can think tree all you like but Mother Nature provides a wide selection of rips splits knot holes, and that doesn’t include colonies nesting in the ground or rock cavities.

 

[madbeelady]

For 3 years I'ved reduced the entrance using sponge and using a length of plastic pop bottle pinned across the entrance seems to keep the wasp out. Cheap solution.

Wow great idea, been racking my brains for a quick easy solution to wasps and this is it. Amazing thanks for sharing.