Wasp nest very close to hive

[moorparkbees]

Hello, I have a wasp nest that has appeared above my hives. They aren’t causing any problems at the moment, if anything they are helping clean up eating the dead and dying bees. I was wondering though if I should get the nest destroyed if it’s going to cause problems in the long run? Nest is circled in red on picture.

Thanks

 

[Beefriendly]

Well it's only going to get bigger and more wasps. If it was me I'd get access/bee suited and large poly bag or spray with that foam wasp killer stuff you can buy from hardware shops.
Given the number of queen wasps I saw earlier this year it could be a bad year....strong hives are your best defence.

 

[Murox]

My initial reaction was KILL. Kill. KILL.

 

[madasafish]

In 2016 I had a wasp's nest in the ground about 1 meter away from the hive. It did not appear to be a problem..to any hive.

Badgers destroyed it mid August when ground was dry.

 

[Newbeebeekeeper]

Im not that experienced with bees yet but i have seen them in at the bees in previous years.

I know wasps have a part to play in nature however im happy for them to play it away from me and kill them

 

[Millet]

Wasps give me grief every year..the big colonies are fine but any nucs i have made up tend to get tortured by wasps..i destroyed a wasp nest a couple of weeks ago around 10yrds from my hives.

 

[moorparkbees]

Thanks guys, will get our pest controller out just to be on the safe side.

 

[Woodland bees]

Badgers destroyed it mid August when ground was dry.

It'll be a bit tricky getting a badger up onto that roof...

 

[Millet]

It'll be a bit tricky getting a badger up onto that roof...

 

[Beagle23]

Wasps do have an important role to play in the ecosystem so don't kill them unless you have to. A strong colony of bees will have no problem seeing off wasps.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Thanks guys, will get our pest controller out just to be on the safe side.

A sachet of Ficam W will cost you around twelve quid and can be part used so it makes several small sprayer fills. Don't get the mix in contact with your bees.
What will your pest control charge you?

 

[moorparkbees]

Hey thanks for the information. However the pest control company won’t charge me anything as I’ve helped them out with bee swarms in the past so I’m owed a favour!

 

[MartinL]

Hey thanks for the information. However the pest control company won’t charge me anything as I’ve helped them out with bee swarms in the past so I’m owed a favour!

They are likely to be very generous with the pyrethrin, I'd still want to know what they're up to if it was that close to my bees!

By the way, who's under the lead roof?
Not the most durable surface when walked on regularly????

 

[moorparkbees]

They are likely to be very generous with the pyrethrin, I'd still want to know what they're up to if it was that close to my bees!

By the way, who's under the lead roof?
Not the most durable surface when walked on regularly????

The pest controller is coming out at 6am Thursday to spray the wasp nest with a type of powder, I’m very uneasy about the whole thing! I’m tempted to leave the wasps but have a nuc hive that’s a little weak at the moment and just a bit worried.

The roof walkways are copper and Zinc coated with a fibreglass paint, Very durable, current walkways age is 200years and still going strong under the coating, Don’t make places like this anymore!

 

[Karol]

Use of a pesticide in such close promixity is inviting disaster. Exposed wasps will leave the nest to drop randomly setting off a pesticide bomb in the vicinity of your hives. Far better to use a vacuum set at the nest entrance. Takes about an hour to catch returning foragers to collapse the colony repeated if necessay.