Varroa/Wasps

[Brewer24]

I presume like a lot of others. Wasps have been very prolific this year. Although it is finally calming down at last. This morning I was watching a Wasp devouring a dead bee and had a light bulb moment as to why it appears that Wasps do not appear to suffer the same health issues and diseases that is inflicted on our poor Bee’s.
Just a thought?

 

[Karol]

Because wasps are carnivorous and eat mites. Because wasps naturally root around in feacal and decaying matter so have evolved sophisticated immunity both humeral and social (i.e. colonies despatch diseased colleagues).

 

[Amari]

Because wasps are carnivorous and eat mites. Because wasps naturally root around in feacal and decaying matter so have evolved sophisticated immunity both humeral and social (i.e. colonies despatch diseased colleagues).

Not exclusively carnivorous presumably - they're currently busy on the ivy blossom.

 

[beeno]

Not exclusively carnivorous presumably - they're currently busy on the ivy blossom.

They were very busy on the heather too a couple of weeks ago.

 

[GuyNir]

They were very busy on the heather too a couple of weeks ago.

I’ve also seen wasps looks as if they visited HB.

 

[Finman]

Wasps need sugar for energy and for flying

Bees use pollen as protein and wasps use Insect flesh

 

[Karol]

Insect skeletons are made from a complex sugar which is converted to simple sugars by wasp larvae which they then express to feed adult wasps by trophallaxis. Only when there's no brood in the nest will adult wasps exclusively sweet feed outside of the nest.

 

[Monbees]

Insect skeletons are made from a complex sugar which is converted to simple sugars by wasp larvae which they then express to feed adult wasps by trophallaxis. Only when there's no brood in the nest will adult wasps exclusively sweet feed outside of the nest.

When there is no brood in the nest do wasps still return to the nest at night? Is the queen still there and does she still need to be fed? I suspect l have wasps hanging around beneath the open mesh floors at night ready for the next day's onslaught.

 

[Karol]

Yes they still aggregate at night and they still feed the queen. If conditions are right the queen may even start laying again giving rise to a second round of sexual progeny brood. Basically wasps suddenly 'disappear' as they go hunting again.

 

[Monbees]

Yes they still aggregate at night and they still feed the queen. If conditions are right the queen may even start laying again giving rise to a second round of sexual progeny brood. Basically wasps suddenly 'disappear' as they go hunting again.

Oh I really hope this spell of warm weather doesn't prompt the queen to start laying again. This could go on until December!

 

[BB King]

Wasps were giving the hives at my orchard apiary a lot of attention. I closed the entrances down and as the colonies were strong they could look after themselves, however the wasps were very persistent and in such numbers. At the weekend I put a sheet of clear perspex across the front of each brood box overlapping the sides by about six inches. There was initial confusion with bees hitting the Perspex barrier and clustering on the surface but today calm navigation around the obstacle and hardly a wasp, they seem to have given up on working out the diversion.