Wasp Bane refills are expensive.

[Monbees]

Reduce the size of the cones so that they can’t get in.
When I caught one I demolished the trap
Put these in View attachment 33518

Thanks for the tip - I ordered some yesterday from Thornes. My waspbane also catches loads of flies, which I don't mind, also some brownish ordinary moths - hope they are wax moth.

 

[Hachi]

I refill mine with coke and jam! You can dismantle with a little persuasion.

Full fat coke or diet Ian?

 

[Amari]

I resurrected this orange wasp catcher from the shed and placed it (just the orange globe) by the back door - a wasp congregation point. Remembering (post 1) that sugar and vinegar are used commercially I sneaked into the kitchen and put a blob of SWMBO's homemade chutney in the globe. It proved to be a great attractant.

An hour ago I drilled four 9mm holes in the base of the globe and placed it upon the WaspBane reservoir containing just water with a drop of washing up liquid. It seems to be collecting wasps. I might add some sugar and vinegar to the reservoir.

 

[Amari]

This is a pic of my second refill of the WB using my own recipe of sugar, vinegar, water, spoonful of homemade chutney and a drop of washing up liquid. The WB was placed near two vulnerable hives.
I realise that we should all be wasp-huggers but have we not agreed that the wasps at this time of year have stopped breeding and are unemployed pensioners?

My justification for trapping is that three colonies weakened by CBPV three months ago have been wiped out by the wasps despite UFEs with shortened entry slots. The wasps are invading my stacks of stored supers so I've had to cover each stack with a mattress bag. A wasp can enter a much smaller crack than a bee. Amazingly the wasps can nibble a hole in a mattress bag and also nibble my two poly hive bodies.

 

[JamezF]

I realise that we should all be wasp-huggers but have we not agreed that the wasps at this time of year have stopped breeding and are unemployed pensioners?

Whilst I am generally ok to see wasps around, I've reached the point where I no longer care as far as this year goes. They're becoming a real pest now. Every time I'm in the workshop I have to check when I pick something up that I'm not also inadvertently grabbing a wasp. They're all over everything, landing on my hands and legs, buzzing around my head, climbing in and out of my (unsweetened) cups of coffee... It's quite irritating. I was gluing up some woodwork outside the workshop door a couple of days ago and they wouldn't even leave the glue alone.

James

 

[Amari]

Whilst I am generally ok to see wasps around, I've reached the point where I no longer care as far as this year goes. They're becoming a real pest now. Every time I'm in the workshop I have to check when I pick something up that I'm not also inadvertently grabbing a wasp. They're all over everything, landing on my hands and legs, buzzing around my head, climbing in and out of my (unsweetened) cups of coffee... It's quite irritating. I was gluing up some woodwork outside the workshop door a couple of days ago and they wouldn't even leave the glue alone.

James

SWMBO was stung unprovoked on the lip by a wasp two weeks ago. Friends and neighbours concluded that she'd had a lip-filler procedure gone wrong. I've been stung twice on my torso. All three stings were in our garden 600m from my apiary.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I realise that we should all be wasp-huggers but have we not agreed that the wasps at this time of year have stopped breeding and are unemployed pensioners?

well the same attitude towards our human population seems to be acceptable to the current parasites in charge

 

[Robinredcar]

This is a pic of my second refill of the WB using my own recipe of sugar, vinegar, water, spoonful of homemade chutney and a drop of washing up liquid. The WB was placed near two vulnerable hives.
I realise that we should all be wasp-huggers but have we not agreed that the wasps at this time of year have stopped breeding and are unemployed pensioners?

My justification for trapping is that three colonies weakened by CBPV three months ago have been wiped out by the wasps despite UFEs with shortened entry slots. The wasps are invading my stacks of stored supers so I've had to cover each stack with a mattress bag. A wasp can enter a much smaller crack than a bee. Amazingly the wasps can nibble a hole in a mattress bag and also nibble my two poly hive bodies.

Are you getting plenty of wasps in the trap? I've got a bottle with jam and vinegar hardly getting any, they are instead choosing to haras my bees. They have become a real problem near me.

 

[maddydog]

I don't set traps, it's always seemed odd to attract what you don't want.

Not a single trap for me this year and very little wasp trouble..... However, I've been ruthless in removing the drone layer/weak colonies especially in the 2 mating yards.
Up until this year I'd normally have 30 or so high efficiency traps dotted around 13 apiaries and a constant lag on my time emptying and refilling (cider and raspberry jam).

 

[Amari]

Are you getting plenty of wasps in the trap?

See post 24

 

[The Poot]

Are you getting plenty of wasps in the trap? I've got a bottle with jam and vinegar hardly getting any, they are instead choosing to haras my bees. They have become a real problem near me.

This weeks catch using @Amari sugar and vinegar recipe…

 

[Amari]

This weeks catch using @Amari sugar and vinegar recipe…View attachment 33755

I've just got back from a week away and for the first time in six weeks wasps are not harassing my hives or invading my stacked empty boxes. Both waspbanes are full like yours and somehow hundreds managed to get into one of the feeders and drowned.
Previously on the forum I learnt that wasps have stopped rearing brood so could it be that I've caught all the local survivors?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

saw a facebook post from one of the better local pesties, he was called out to deal with a mahoosive wasp nest yesterday and it was still packed with brood

 

[The Poot]

I've just got back from a week away and for the first time in six weeks wasps are not harassing my hives or invading my stacked empty boxes. Both waspbanes are full like yours and somehow hundreds managed to get into one of the feeders and drowned.
Previously on the forum I learnt that wasps have stopped rearing brood so could it be that I've caught all the local survivors?

I reckon it’s more likely that nests have been found and dealt with. I know of three that have been destroyed near my hives - two in a garden two properties away and one in a near neighbours roof. I have found another one close to the village school and have permission from the householder to don beesuit and do battle, but it’s rained heavily every evening since!
My bees are under constant attack but doing a good job keeping the wasps out, though I saw them bundle one out of the entrance this afternoon and then kill it