Wasps digging!

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Marco666

New Bee
Joined
May 24, 2015
Messages
61
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Location
Seaford
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
3
I found some wasps digging into my Poly Nuk. They can probably smell the water\sugar solution inside and they are literally making little holes to get to it. I have killed some but more have come. Any suggestions?
Any idea on a good wasps trap?
Thank you.
 
it's coming to the colder weather a few more weeks and wasps will be gone, unless you want to lay out on wasp traps, I'd make one
 
it's coming to the colder weather a few more weeks and wasps will be gone

Don't bet on it.
Wasps are quite good at withstanding a cold snap to bounce back when the sun shines. A prolonged period of frost will do them in, though.
I've had wasps investigating the garden and the kitchen in November.
I just looked up my records, as late wasps rang a bell, and in 2013 I had to get a couple of traps out on November 19th.
 
The ivy on the back of this house has not flowered yet but i can 100% guarantee when it does the wildlife will come to life.. lol . it happen's every year.. wasp's / blue bottles and butterflies just when we had thought they had gone to bed for winter..
 
Been out and about today and witnessed wasps hunting again so they're laying a second round of sexual progeny! It also means that wasp activity around hives is likely to have dropped off somewhat but don't be fooled by the lull.

On the last two occasions that I observed this happening we had quite harsh winters. Probably co-incidence but might be interesting if it happens again.

It does mean though that nests are definitely not finished and it'll be worth monitoring hives in November and even in early December for wasp attack. Once the bees start to cluster when it gets cold that's when wasps may get easy access into the hive and rob out stores so it's also worth looking out for signs of starvation in your hives.

Cold doesn't kill wasps I'm afraid. They die of starvation primarily and that's because unlike bees they don't keep stores.
 
It also means that wasp activity around hives is likely to have dropped off somewhat
That's what appears to have happened at my apiary too.
 

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