Wasps.....and so it begins.

[ShinySideUp]

There is a slight chance of that... i have mentioned measurements for several years now and to be honest if folk can not get there head into gear from the pictures and explanations i have posted i will give in to defeat as i can not make it more simple.

Not questioning the measurements, I was just wondering why wasps have trouble with the deeper entrance when apart from the depth there is no difference between that and the standard reduced entrance block. What makes it that the wasps can't get through this as it's just a longer walk.

 

[Millet]

They Create a restricted tunnel of several inches..something an ordinary entrance doesn't.

Perfect explanation.. 20 quid a pop soon me thinks from some greedy dim wit ..

 

[Beefriendly]

You got it....the longer walk...Allows bees to marshal defences.
Note...only needed on weak hives....bees don't need any protection from wasps if strong colonies.

 

[ShinySideUp]

You got it....the longer walk...Allows bees to marshal defences.

At last, thank you.

I like to know how things work and Millets tunnel entrance could have worked in several ways for example the deeper egress from the tunnel might put the wasp in a dodgier place. It could also have been that once in the wasp cannot find the way out before being killed.

You see, it's not always simple...but in this case, it is.

 

[mintmoth]

Or.......get a piece of cable trunking. The sticky square type like you get in b and q. Cut a piece shorter than the width of your hive. Cut a decent size hole in the BACK which goes over the entrance. Cut the front sliding bit in half. When shut there is an entrance at either end when slid open there is a direct route into the main entrance. Can keep it in all year and slide it open as much or as little as needed. Works as a mouse guard too.
E

Wasps were trying to sneak in my Swienties, making the bees really tetchy and cross. After reading enrico's post I had a look at cable trunking. Brilliant stuff! So easy to cut. I got a length 16mm x 25mm, cut it to the width of the entrance, and removed the shallower piece.
Trimmed one side of the deeper piece to 10mm, cut a 25mm gap in the centre, and on the untrimmed side cut a 25mm gap at one end to make a zigzag route.

It slotted perfectly into the Swienty entrance, the trimmed side inside, the untrimmed 16mm side neatly filling the shaped opening. Perfect tunnel entrance. Two bits of ali tape to be sure it wouldn't pop out.

That was last weekend. Today the difference was remarkable. The bees were not the least tetchy, and not a single wasp around the hives. Saw several wasps further down the hedgerow feeding on the ripe blackberries.