Wasp Control

[susbees]

Cost per quid expenditure is probably with a few bottle traps, unless a cheaper but still satisfactory glue can be found.

Regards, RAB

Um, not sure about that. Went to fetch hopefully three mated Amm(ish) queens back in Keilers tonight from a mating apiary where wasps had robbed out two and depleted one under the beekeeper's nose. So that's a loss of £60 or more right away .

And more they'd sawed their way into one nuc through the bottom by gnawing up by the hole by the floor!

Glue....

 

[alex]

I'm not convinced about the cost per quid being much different - that fiver's worth of glue will surely last several years, judging by the little squidge I spread about for that photo.

Was it really much cheaper to use old cola bottles with a dash of El Cheapo Cider, etc, like I've done before? I think the difference isn't really worth calculating!

 

[PeteN]

Ordered my rat glue following Admins link on Tuesday it arrived next day. Over 50 wasps so far. They were hitting it as I was placing it in place. Dead chuffed.
Be interesting to see how long it remains tacky.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Mine arrived yesterday,captured a few bad guys last night and looking forward to spreading the love this weekend.

Isn't it funny how we are so enamored of one flying insect yet despise another.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Here we go again!
For the umpteenth time!
1. Go to your local supermarket.
2. Buy a tube of rat glue.
3. Spread this glue on board about 60cm x 60cm and place bait in middle of board. (Bait should be early season protein and late season carbohydrates: I guess at this time of the year in the UK that strawberry jam would go down well)
4. Sit back and watch the action!!!!!
How many times do we have to write about this?

Best regards
Norton.

Norton - my bees and I thank you for this, a truly effective method

Now, anyone got a recycling use for a few hundred black and yellow mixed fruit jam falvoured carcases

 

[Frithgar]

Have just been to my local farm supply shop (similar to a DIY store) and bought to cardboard mats with rat glue pre-applied, 86p each, they are 15 x 25 cm, designed for mice, the one for rats is half as big again and £1.01 each. They didn't sell tubes of rat glue but at the price for the boards I think they are good value for money and will be baiting them and putting near my apiary this afternoon.
Frith

 

[Norton]

Perhaps you could let us know how it goes.
Thanks
Norton.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes, I have to thank you as well, Norton.
Fifty wasps

 

[victor meldrew]

Just been down to the apiary and whilst watching the bees going berserk on balsam plus pollen bearers orange,blue, yellow,I noticed the odd wasp entering a hive which was very busy (perhaps no guards posted?)
I placed my wasp guard at the entrance and watched for 15 mins or so , I was surprised by the number of wasps that had been sneaking in. Ok ,my guard caused a little confusion but no wasps gained admission , not whilst I was watching
Pity I didn't have my camera at hand (A picture paints a thousand words.

John Wilkinson

 

[oliver90owner]

John,

I placed my wasp guard at the entrance

A brief description might not go amiss.

Regards, RAB

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

In "At the Hive Entrance" H Storch suggests:

When a colony is greatly troubled by robbers and continues to defend itself, it is sufficient to place before the hive entrance, previously reduced to the width of a finger, a few leafy twigs. This means of protection proves far more effective than a pane of glass positioned in the same place

Anyone tried this method?

 

[victor meldrew]

I use alighting boards , my entrances are about 5" long .
I have a simple contraption (S) which is a strip of perforated aluminium sheet , cut and folded to form an angle one bee space high , by two bee spaces wide , closed off at one end , it is about 9" long . when placed on the landing board (covering the entrance ) it forces the bees to negotiate a tunnel from the open end to gain both egress and ingress . The bees soon learn the route , whilst the wasp tries to enter where it last exited .
The wasps that try to follow the foragers in, have to run a gauntlet and as the tunnel is full of bees both entering and leaving ,never gets it's nose in !
I'm not a technical writer so hope the explanation is understandable !.

John Wilkinson

 

[Frithgar]

That wasp guard sounds interesting, I might try it if my pads of rat glue don't help, we're getting wasps quite bad her at the moment. When I carry out my inspections I'm finding that I get up to 20+ wasps clouding around diving into the hive whenever they can. It might just be a few that have learnt about the hive opening or it could be indicative of a larger problem.
Will let you know tomorrow evening how it goes with the pads as I'm taking off the one super of honey that I've got from the 4 hives.

 

[Rosti]

Cheaper than glue

Penicillin was discovered this way you know! Granted a rather more significant and worth while discovery

Painting my 'honey for sale' sign, left drying outside, damn insects landing and sticking to it, gave up and retreated to garage to dry slowly but ....

Piece of card (ex cereal box as it happens), old oil based emulsion, slap on to said card, dollop of jam in the middle, stays wet for 6 hours, enough to fill the card with jaspers. Wasps aren't to precious about what colour!

 

[TBRNoTB]

entrance

Pity I didn't have my camera at hand (A picture paints a thousand words.

John Wilkinson

John
As you say thousand words etc, any chance of that picture?
Regards
TBRNoTB

PS You must be really down in the dumps, football and rugby!!!

 

[Firegazer]

I'm imagining something like this:

 

[Queens59]

Wow - I haven't seen anything that impressive since technical drawing at school...couldn't do it then either though...

 

[victor meldrew]

Similar except the material is perforated, this encourages the wasp to waste energy trying to find a way in away from the actual entrance .

John Wilkinson

 

[Silly Bee]

Similar except the material is perforated, this encourages the wasp to waste energy trying to find a way in away from the actual entrance .

John Wilkinson

For the perforated material, would varroa mesh be ok?

 

[victor meldrew]

I should think so !
John