Wasp onslaught

[Sutty]

Thought I'd start a thread to report experience of different wasp traps.
Here
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/best-wasp-traps.51229/

 

[ericbeaumont]

I didnt move the hive

Only solution is to move it 2 miles.

 

[Sutty]

Wrong thread!

 

[Karol]

Had a wander down to my hive in the back field today with morning coffee , to my amazement wasps were freely moving in and out as if it were theirs .Got the gear on and yep confirmed hive bing hammered inside .Entrance reducer was on but wasn’t helping.In a last ditch attempt I have salvaged the queen and shook swarm the remaining bees into a small national nucleus. I have taken the old hive and frames away ,discarded the sealed brood frames (only 2). At the point I saw them wasps were all over the combs so I think it might have been the end for themif I hadn’t have acted quick.What would you guys have done ?Also any tips on finding wasps nests ? I was convinced they wouldn’t be a problem this year .

edit - the original equip was dadant so couldn’t transfer the frames accross

I know I keep repeating myself but the devil really is in the detail. Wasps are complex insects with complex behaviours that require keen observation to differentiate what they are doing and their purpose.

So the first question that needs answering is whether or not the wasps are hunting or sweet feeding at the hive because this will dictate strategy. Wasps will overpower hives to get at brood to feed their own young especially as their own nests mature. This is perhaps the most dangerous and difficult type of attack to protect against but it is possible and conventional sweet feeding traps are useless in such a situation.

It's good that you transferred the remaining colony into a new nuc because at least you have removed them from the pheromone beacon drawing wasps to the original hive.

Trying to find wasps nests may occasionally help but rarely does unless you are in a secluded monoculture. Wasps can travel up to two miles to find food and depending on topography the upper density of wasp nests can be as much as 1000 wasp nests per square mile. Much better and more productive to concentrate on action taken at the hive.

 

[CaptainCymru]

Only solution is to move it 2 miles.

I have nowhere

I know I keep repeating myself but the devil really is in the detail. Wasps are complex insects with complex behaviours that require keen observation to differentiate what they are doing and their purpose.

So the first question that needs answering is whether or not the wasps are hunting or sweet feeding at the hive because this will dictate strategy. Wasps will overpower hives to get at brood to feed their own young especially as their own nests mature. This is perhaps the most dangerous and difficult type of attack to protect against but it is possible and conventional sweet feeding traps are useless in such a situation.

It's good that you transferred the remaining colony into a new nuc because at least you have removed them from the pheromone beacon drawing wasps to the original hive.

Trying to find wasps nests may occasionally help but rarely does unless you are in a secluded monoculture. Wasps can travel up to two miles to find food and depending on topography the upper density of wasp nests can be as much as 1000 wasp nests per square mile. Much better and more productive to concentrate on action taken at the hive.

Thanks for info. They have found the new nuc even though moved it away. I have locked them in the the nuc for the day,added a length of hose pipe into the entrance and stuffed it with grass.Hopefully that might stop the wasps entering.

 

[ericbeaumont]

I have nowhere

Ask a farmer? Vicarage back garden? School grounds? Pub?

 

[fizzle]

What's the best bait to use in a wasp trap that bees ignore?

 

[CaptainCymru]

Ask a farmer? Vicarage back garden? School grounds? Pub?

Suppose I could, I'd rather lose the bees than lose the bees and nuc mind, theres alot of thieves around these days. They were locked in for the day yesterday,its pouring rain today, encouragingly whilst I was messing around with the hose yest ,2 or 3 bees flew put but stayed around the hive and were trying to get back in,hopefully today they will re-orientate themselves and the length of hose works.

 

[madasafish]

What's the best bait to use in a wasp trap that bees ignore?

A dash of vinegar deters bees.

 

[CaptainCymru]

What's the best bait to use in a wasp trap that bees ignore?

Using Lawrence from black mountains honey recipe , sugar /Guinness/ heinekin mix

 

[Karol]

I have nowhere



Thanks for info. They have found the new nuc even though moved it away. I have locked them in the the nuc for the day,added a length of hose pipe into the entrance and stuffed it with grass.Hopefully that might stop the wasps entering.

But are they hunting or sweet feeding?

 

[CaptainCymru]

But are they hunting or sweet feeding?

Sweet feeding for sure, take it they dont necessarily bother the hive if they are sweet feeding ?

 

[Karol]

Hunting wasps will take brood and adult bees. With adult bees they pare away the head, wings and legs and take the thorax and abdomen. Sweet feeding wasps go for honey but will also take the abdomen of adult bees to rob nectar from the honeybee's crop. It's not always easy to tell whether wasps are hunting or sweet feeding just by their presence within a hive especially if they have already robbed out the brood.

 

[CaptainCymru]

Last ditch attempt,moved it on top of my strong colony facing another way , hose pipe in entrance and plant pot with lots of holes to try confuse the wasps !

 

[coffindodger]

Last ditch attempt,moved it on top of my strong colony facing another way , hose pipe in entrance and plant pot with lots of holes to try confuse the wasps !

You've just moved the entrance further outand made it larger (from the wasp v. bee defence viewpoint). Have a look at this:
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/robber_screen.htmlIve used his 'full width screen' for a few years and it works well. The key is that there is no direct way in for the wasps (see also JBM's entrance for future building). I have gaps at top, bottom and sides big enough for bees to move in and out and small enough for them to form a defence line up. Held on by bungy around hive. The bees soon work out their own system and can protect whilst carrying on as normal. Also have a few traps and a waspbane.

 

[enrico]

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/wasp-tunnel-mark-two.45362/This works for me

 

[CaptainCymru]

You've just moved the entrance further outand made it larger (from the wasp v. bee defence viewpoint). Have a look at this:
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/robber_screen.htmlIve used his 'full width screen' for a few years and it works well. The key is that there is no direct way in for the wasps (see also JBM's entrance for future building). I have gaps at top, bottom and sides big enough for bees to move in and out and small enough for them to form a defence line up. Held on by bungy around hive. The bees soon work out their own system and can protect whilst carrying on as normal. Also have a few traps and a waspbane.

That's a great help thanks , I've got some spare varroa mesh I can cut up and fashion something with some pallet wood today, the other half of problem is the bee's are so placid,wasps cant even get within a ft of my dark bee hive

 

[Erichalfbee]

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/wasp-tunnel-mark-two.45362/This works for me

Thanks for the reminder. I’ve added it to the sticky thread

 

[CaptainCymru]

Latest effort with what's at hand, the problem is the entrance is in a recess.thoughts ?

 

[Boston Bees]

Latest effort with what's at hand, the problem is the entrance is in a recess.thoughts ?

I tried something similar once and all that happened was that any forager that left the hive then couldn't work out how to get back in again.