Wasp woes

[viridens]

A bad year here for Jaspers. Not only are many of the buggers bullying their way into the hives despite my deploying usual precautions of reduced or confusing entrances, but they are also descending in hordes to munch through my grapes by the kilo, even though they are not at the point of ripeness to be worth picking (they are dessert varieties (Lakemont, Rondo etc), and grapes do not ripen off the vine). I have traps which are filling regularly, I have squashed many and built up my sting immunity in the process and I have also spent a few hours trying to track them back to their nest(s) without success, so I can't wreak full revenge. I will not use a 'carry back to the nest' poison, particularly since I am seeing bees on the grapes ( see 2nd photo) and a few in the traps too.
I'm not really looking for advice, just venting my annoyance in this year which has spawned many wasps to add to the other woes.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nothing worse than wasps on your grapes

 

[viridens]

Nahh, it would be worse to have them on my nuts.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

View attachment 21989View attachment 21990
A bad year here for Jaspers. Not only are many of the buggers bullying their way into the hives despite my deploying usual precautions of reduced or confusing entrances, but they are also descending in hordes to munch through my grapes by the kilo, even though they are not at the point of ripeness to be worth picking (they are dessert varieties (Lakemont, Rondo etc), and grapes do not ripen off the vine). I have traps which are filling regularly, I have squashed many and built up my sting immunity in the process and I have also spent a few hours trying to track them back to their nest(s) without success, so I can't wreak full revenge. I will not use a 'carry back to the nest' poison, particularly since I am seeing bees on the grapes ( see 2nd photo) and a few in the traps too.
I'm not really looking for advice, just venting my annoyance in this year which has spawned many wasps to add to the other woes.

We've got wasps all over our grapes but not seen any bees on them. I'm philosophically looking at the wasps and thinking they're better there than around the hives.

 

[Murox]

We've got wasps all over our grapes but not seen any bees on them. I'm philosophically looking at the wasps and thinking they're better there than around the hives.

Thanks ...Eric Idle.

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best
And
Always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the light side of life

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Had the same on my cherries and plums until I found and destroyed two nests.
They were really dopey this year, I think the fruit made them drunk and they would fall out of the trees.
Still got some now, but manageable amounts and the bees are no longer under constant attack.
You have my sympathies, they’re really aggravating.

 

[philipm]

Worst year I've ever seen for wasps wiped out all my hives even though they were strong, They just couldn't cope with the amount of wasps. I did find one nest when I started digging potatoes about a foot underground and the size of a football. I'm pretty sure there are other nests out in the field or hedges somewhere. Hopefully I can restart next year.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Worst year I've ever seen for wasps wiped out all my hives even though they were strong, They just couldn't cope with the amount of wasps. I did find one nest when I started digging potatoes about a foot underground and the size of a football. I'm pretty sure there are other nests out in the field or hedges somewhere. Hopefully I can restart next year.

That’s awful! When you restart make some underfloor entrances - see JBM’s plans - as I’m assured they take care of the wasp problem.

 

[Arfermo]

Worst year I've ever seen for wasps wiped out all my hives even though they were strong, They just couldn't cope with the amount of wasps. I did find one nest when I started digging potatoes about a foot underground and the size of a football. I'm pretty sure there are other nests out in the field or hedges somewhere. Hopefully I can restart next year.

Very sorry to hear that. I had a big problem with wasps about 5 years ago attacking a hive. Lucky to notice the dead on the ground outside the entrance in time, then spraying sugary water over the few bees left (including her majesty), giving them frames of eggs and larvae, and swatting all the raiders for next 3 days and I saved the colony for another season. But then I'm off my rocker anyway.

 

[Amari]

Worst year I've ever seen for wasps wiped out all my hives even though they were strong, They just couldn't cope with the amount of wasps. I did find one nest when I started digging potatoes about a foot underground and the size of a football. I'm pretty sure there are other nests out in the field or hedges somewhere. Hopefully I can restart next year.

Worst year for wasps in 4.8 decades of beekeeping. Luckily most of my colonies are on JBM's under-floor entrances - but I've reduced the 9mm entry/exit slit with sponge. Two others have Enrico/Drex conduit tunnels.

 

[philipm]

I already have JBM's underfloor entrances but even after reducing them to more or less nothing they still finished the hives off, Just the number of wasps that the bees couldn't cope with . I've been beekeeping for a number of years now and have never seen anything like it before I put it down to a lack of fruit this year due to the late frosts. Even with loads of wasp traps doted around which were full to the brim each hive had lots of wasps crawling all over them it was just carnage with dead bodies everywhere. I think next year will call for a rethink.

 

[jool]

My hives are on a apple farm. Never seen so many wasps. Some are on the fallen fruit but most trying to get into hives. Spent a couple of hours making tunnel entrances from electrical conduit last week and this has really helped. Bees still having to defend but easier for them. Took the bees very little time to work the new entrances out. A lot cheaper than losing colony's
Jools

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

My hives are on a apple farm. Never seen so many wasps. Some are on the fallen fruit but most trying to get into hives. Spent a couple of hours making tunnel entrances from electrical conduit last week and this has really helped. Bees still having to defend but easier for them. Took the bees very little time to work the new entrances out. A lot cheaper than losing colony's
Jools

Same here Jools. I fitted tunnels after I saw the defences were failing. They really made a big difference.
The congestion they caused at the entrances allowed wasps to predate a few more bees, but they have so far prevented wasps “swarm feeding” inside the hives.
Really sorry for you Philip, it must be heart breaking to lose your colonies like that.

 

[malgreen]

1st robbing bees now my poor hives x 2 being attacked by robbing wasps as well. Have put 3 home made bottle traps out and caught loads just wish I could locate the nest. The wasps seem prefer early morning maybe they operate at a lower temperature. Once the hives warm up I have found fewer wasps as are repelled by the bees. Maybe the grapes are attracting them where they then get a whiff of the good stuff and go and investigate.

 

[drex]

My home made, non escape traps fill every few days. So far no problem with the bees. I am careful with hygiene. My colonies are all strong, in spite of the poor crop this year. Boxes are a good fit and I have entrance blocks and thymol in the hives. I wonder if the thymol is a deterrent. No need for tunnel entrances at the mo.

 

[madasafish]

Lost 1 hive plus 1 nuc to wasps despite funnel entrances.
Underfloor hives/nucs fine.

Rescued 1 Q going to requeen another beek's hive..

Traps full.. Searched for nests .. none in our garden but local woods/school and house offer lots of cover.

Worst I have seen in 11 seasons.

 

[understanding_bees]

A bad year here for Jaspers.

Your photograph - with wasps feeding from grapes - are these known as Yellow-jackets? I think that they are the same type of wasp as we have here, and which are known locally as European wasps. Are these the only type of wasps troubling bees in UK? Are there other types of wasps as well, which cause problems to bees? The various comments in this discussion thread indicate that wasps are a serious predator of bees, and I am interested to know what methods have been found most helpful in dealing with the problem.
I found a few comments on the Internet, including:
As late summer rolls around, yellowjacket wasps reliably return as unwelcome visitors to our picnics and backyard barbecues. They are also particularly troublesome to beekeepers, as they often attack honey bee colonies, carrying off both the honey bees and honey.
Another comment suggested ways in which to protect hives from wasps:
Use beehive robbing screens. These screens act as a diversion for wasps and robber bees. ...
Shrink your hive entrances. ...
Kill wasps in the spring. ...
Be vigilant at honey harvest.
I saw the comment by The Poot in Somerset who said, “Fitted two types of tunnel entrance today, both of which appear to have worked.”
I would like to know what kinds of results people have had, from the use of robbing screens, and from tunnels.
What is the theory behind the use of tunnels? Is it because it is a narrow entrance? Or is it because it is a long entrance? Or is there something more, or something else, about it?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Tunnels provide a long narrow entrance where guard bees can line up to deter wasps
Here's two

Enrico's Tunnel Entrance
Millet's Tunnel Entrance

The best defence against wasps is a strong hive with bees covering every frame. Even a nuc can defend itself if it is covered in bees.
Under floor entrances are pretty wasp proof and you can reduce them further by blocking off all but a tunnel in the porch.
I have once tried narrowing an underfloor entrance in a nuc when wasps seemed to be ignoring the other hives and taking a particular interest in them, though not getting in, but in the end I gave them more bees.

 

[seillean mil]

Had the same on my cherries and plums

...wasps on your plums...the very worst thing possible!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Your photograph - with wasps feeding from grapes - are these known as Yellow-jackets? I think that they are the same type of wasp as we have here, and which are known locally as European wasps. Are these the only type of wasps troubling bees in UK?

I asked elsewhere
The answer I got is Vespulas Germanica Vulgaris and Rufa.
The European Hornet, Vespa crabro does take bees but doesn't impact a colony much and most sensible beekeepers leave them alone.
Both wasps and Hornets provide immensely valuable pest control through the year