Wasp Problem

[Karol]

Here on the hills in East Cornwall I haven't seen a wasp for a week and that was a queen in my workshop, now deceased.

As in squished deceased?

 

[Millet]

Last sources of carbs at this time of year include late flowering ivy, hives, fruit litter left on compost heaps and human sources around food production & sales.

Day temperatures of 10°C plus will still see wasps out and about.

Temp averages day time around here 5/7 C nighttime obviously lower ... so do you think a second wasp attack is not possible..

 

[Karol]

Wasp nests are pretty well insulated so they will survive for quite a while so long as carbs are still available albeit on an occasional daily basis. Wasp attacks on hives have been known as late as January but this is very much weather dependant.

 

[Stedic]

Wasp nests are pretty well insulated so they will survive for quite a while so long as carbs are still available albeit on an occasional daily basis. Wasp attacks on hives have been known as late as January but this is very much weather dependant.

Just when I though the only things I had to worry about were mice. Oh, and woodpeckers. Oh, and strong winds. Oh, and inquisitive badgers. Oh, and snow in the entrances. Oh, and...

 

[ShinySideUp]

As in squished deceased?

I cannot answer that on the grounds that I might incriminate myself.

 

[Karol]

No worries. I only ask because hibernating queens are frequently mistaken for dead.

 

[oliver90owner]

My neighbour brought a European hornet to show me that he had found, hiding in an upturned plant pot and was presumably starting it's winter wait.

He asked me what he should do with it and I found myself a little unsure. I know they take bees but then wasps take bees too. I also know that they take a lot of other nasties in the spring and are probably quite good for the garden then.

Do I kill it or let it go? The question is rather moot now as I let fate decide. I tipped it out on the ground, if it flew quickly it was safe if it was too slow it was dead: It was too slow.

But in general if I catch Euro hornets in my AH trap should I release or kill?
__________________

The above, from his post on the ‘hornet dilema’ thread, might just be enough for you to draw the correct conclusion, even if it is only circumferential evidence.

RAB

 

[Swarm]

The wasp nest in my garden is still quite active.

 

[enrico]

Loads of queen wasps looking for winter hibernating places here. Got a feeling next year might be a really need year if they all survive!
E

 

[Barbarian]

I am a little disappointed by the response to this thread.

A newbee has a problem with wasps and wants suggestions. The replies have gone off in various tangents.

I had a similar problem with one of my hives. I fitted a DIY robbing screen. The bees are still working happily and the wasps are getting thwarted at the old entrance.

 

[gbee]

Reading posts by Karol, which I am sure are accurate, doesn’t half come off as doomsday’s incarnate. If it’s not feeding frenzy, it’s zombie wasps coming back for a second season.

 

[Apiarisnt]

Both my hives are being visited by wasps. I think it has just started and I can still see both colonies in the hive. I have numerous wasp traps and had restricted access to the hive.

Last night I closed the hives totally to stop the wasps going in. What should I do, keep the hive closed or open it up again????

You might want to try this:

https://www.thorne.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=7433

or nip down to Screwfix, fork out £1.86p for this:https://www.screwfix.com/p/tower-self-adhesive-mini-trunking-16mm-x-16mm-x-2m/60548, cut it up, drill a few holes in it and make your own.

 

[joshcowin]

Even though it has been in the low minuses here there is still lots of wasps about and still interested in seeing what you are up to. I’d say not many less than the height of summer

 

[thorn]

The wasps disappeared from Leeds at about the time the students arrived. I draw no conclusions.

 

[ShinySideUp]

My neighbour brought a European hornet to show me that he had found, hiding in an upturned plant pot and was presumably starting it's winter wait.

He asked me what he should do with it and I found myself a little unsure. I know they take bees but then wasps take bees too. I also know that they take a lot of other nasties in the spring and are probably quite good for the garden then.

Do I kill it or let it go? The question is rather moot now as I let fate decide. I tipped it out on the ground, if it flew quickly it was safe if it was too slow it was dead: It was too slow.

But in general if I catch Euro hornets in my AH trap should I release or kill?
__________________

The above, from his post on the ‘hornet dilema’ thread, might just be enough for you to draw the correct conclusion, even if it is only circumferential evidence.

RAB

Oh no, I've been rumbled.

 

[Stiffy]

Both my hives are being visited by wasps. I think it has just started and I can still see both colonies in the hive. I have numerous wasp traps and had restricted access to the hive.

Last night I closed the hives totally to stop the wasps going in. What should I do, keep the hive closed or open it up again????

Open to allow single bee access into hive and bees should take care of the wasps.
S

 

[Erichalfbee]

We’ve had theee nights of frost
Two were below minus 4
A wasp has just flown into the house
Tough little things aren’t they?

 

[thedozzer]

We’ve had theee nights of frost
Two were below minus 4
A wasp has just flown into the house
Tough little things aren’t they?

there was quite a hard frost last night and down to about -2c and yet caught 2 little darlings in the wasp traps today!

 

[Karol]

Reading posts by Karol, which I am sure are accurate, doesn’t half come off as doomsday’s incarnate. If it’s not feeding frenzy, it’s zombie wasps coming back for a second season.

I'm sorry it's come over that way. Truth is that wasp behaviour is largely predictable and can in the vast majority of cases be managed very effectively with the right knowledge and right tools.

At this time of year, if wasps have found a hive and the bees are clustering so offering no resistance to robbing then the simple thing to do is to seal the hive completely first thing in the morning before wasps have started flying and place a high efficiency wasp trap right at the entrance to the hive. Leave the hive sealed until at least mid afternoon by which time the trap should have mopped up the foraging wasps. Please note this will only work effectively with a high efficiency trap.

 

[Hivemaker.]

A high efficiency wasp trap can be made from a plastic pop bottle or bought for a couple of pounds from the likes of Amazon/E bay.

There are also plans for other versions on the Cushman site.

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/wasptrap.html