Wasps annoying our bees

[Abbee]

Hi. We normally have loads of wasps around the hives but this year there a tons more!
Just wondering what most of you do about wasps?
We have traps and they were doing a good job in early summer but nothing seems to be working now and they seem to have multiplied.
I read that this time of year it's more sweet that they want. Jam (with a touch of vinegar to deter the bees) not working. This week tried bananas, coke and chicken, cat food, pears & cider in separate bowls by the hives. They are not going near any of them.
They are driving me nuts. I hate that they are pestering our beautiful bees !

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi. We normally have loads of wasps around the hives but this year there a tons more!
Just wondering what most of you do about wasps?
We have traps and they were doing a good job in early summer but nothing seems to be working now and they seem to have multiplied.
I read that this time of year it's more sweet that they want. Jam (with a touch of vinegar to deter the bees) not working. This week tried bananas, coke and chicken, cat food, pears & cider in separate bowls by the hives. They are not going near any of them.
They are driving me nuts. I hate that they are pestering our beautiful bees !

There’s lots on the forum already.
You could start here wasp tunnel mark two

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Hi. We normally have loads of wasps around the hives but this year there a tons more!
Just wondering what most of you do about wasps?
We have traps and they were doing a good job in early summer but nothing seems to be working now and they seem to have multiplied.
I read that this time of year it's more sweet that they want. Jam (with a touch of vinegar to deter the bees) not working. This week tried bananas, coke and chicken, cat food, pears & cider in separate bowls by the hives. They are not going near any of them.
They are driving me nuts. I hate that they are pestering our beautiful bees !

Search the site for tunnel entrances and get some fitted asap.
See Enrico’s design out of cable trunking - it makes a BIG difference.
Until you fit them, reduce the entrances to a single bee space which enables the bees to defend the hive.
Good luck.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Just wondering what most of you do about wasps? They are driving me nuts. I hate that they are pestering our beautiful bees !

I keep strong colonies and reduce the entrance to one bee space; if wasps succeed the only option is to move the colony 3 miles away until the predators are gone with the frosts. This week I found the weakest in an apiary under domination and it's moving tomorrow.

Why are they driving you nuts? Wasps are beautiful pollinating social insects (they are also valuable pest controllers, eating millions of caterpillars and what-not that would otherwise damage crops) and your choice of one valuable social insect over another makes no sense.

Wasps and honeybees have co-existed for longer than humans have been on the planet, so your attempt to change the established balance of nature is largely futile.

Are your colonies strong, Abbee?

 

[hemo]

Not forgetting as well as bees, wasps will also be on the menu for Asian hornets as well one day.

 

[Swarm]

And our own hornets as well who probably take more wasps than bees. Eric's advice is sound, if defenses have been breached, all you can do is move them.
Not such an easy solution this year I admit, I brought a struggling nuc home for protection only to find it under siege within a couple of hours.
Did have a rare treat this morning, opened the back door to a huge hornet buzzing around the pots.