wasps entering one hive Help

[dickndoris]

I have got wasps entering one of my hives and was wondering what I can do about it? Wasp traps seem a little too indiscriminate. Its a wild meadow with willows, an ancient hedgrow and my veg as the main so lots of flying creatures.

So far I go out on a morning and have been using an electric fly zapper before the bees wake. They seem a bit lazy Then again in the evening with a net so I don't destroy any of my girls. Usually around 4wasps in the morning and last night 8 wasps! I have also reduced the hive entrance to 4cm from 10cm.

The colony is still pretty small as the queen is new this year but laying very well along with 5 frames of brood in various states.

Cheers in advance for any advice.

 

[Dishmop]

Usually around 4wasps in the morning and last night 8 wasps! I have also reduced the hive entrance to 4cm from 10cm.

I think your bees should be able to manage to sort out as small a number of wasps as that..... start to get worried when they brings all the family back.

 

[chycarne]

i have mentioned on two other wasp threads and as a confirmed wasp killer this approach is good for me as i dont really like killing them but previously felt i had to (by the hives only ).. i am going to try this a roll of fine mesh coarse wire in front of the entrance... the bees can exit to either side the robbers coming in see the entrance but cannot easily find the way in. the bees re map very easily and get on with it. the semi circle tube is also defendable.

 

[Midland Beek]

Reduce entrance - to a single bee way if necessary.

Consider re-positioning the frames in the hive so that the occupied ones are near to the entrance, and so that the bees are better able to defend the entrance.

Do not manipulate unecessarily, and do not hang around when you do manipulate.

If wasps are coming and going unchallenged and you are more concerned at the situation, stick on a feed of light syrup in the evening, bang the hive to get the wasps out, let the bees settle, and then block up the entrance for 2 or 3 days.

 

[fredbloggs]

i am going to try this a roll of fine mesh coarse wire in front of the entrance...

Hi chycarne - just to confirm.

The mesh is simply of a size that wasps cannot pass through?

I am imagining a shape of mesh the size of a carboard tube the holds kitchen tin foil but the tube cut down its length. Correct?

The "half tube" is inserted into the opening with the bulging bit outwards and cut edges inward. This produces an entrance either end where the top/bottom of the tube would be - if the tube existed!! My how a picture would ever save a thousand words.

If i have got this correct, the only advantage i can see over a solid entrance reduction block is the maintaining of air flow. This would be preferably to partial or total entrance block. On the subject of which, given that the uk temperature is set to soar in the next few days, might be an idea to only block in when using mesh floors??

If i got it wrong - and this is the second time i've typed the damm thing on an iphone where it is so simple to lose the entire post with one screen jab!!!- i'm off to find a quiet corner and shoot myself!


Regards

FB

PS anyone see this work?
PPS might have found a use for that role of seive mesh after all?

 

[chycarne]

Fred, yes that is right, a local beekeeper uses it and demonstrated it. we are going to try it out when we next have a problem - we have cleared our problem and the hive is now well enough to look after itself. this i hope will help salve my conscience too! he has been doing this for a few years having been told it by another old beekeeper... it seem to work well and in principle i can see how it works and it should work and as i say we will be doing it. This keeper is a live off the land sort of person of many years knowledge and learning. please let me / us know how you get on. also with an i phone patience is the only cure - additionally i always have the phone sideways not vertical just give me a bit more room ... i think it is the most useful phone i have ever had so it hasnt gone through the window / over the cliff etc as i have been tempted...now we get on better - after 6 months and realising the sideways trick does work.

 

[dickndoris]

Thanks for the help guys. Still trying to get the tube picture in my mind, and I can't. Is there a link somewhere with a diagram/picture maybe? Could be of great help to many in the coming few months.
Thanks again
Rich

 

[chycarne]

all i an going to do is roll somesh around some dowling, open it back out so it is curved around the dowel, but both sides can be tapped flat. narrow down the hive entrance (in middle of front) place tube of mesh alon entrance pinning the mesh top and bottom. the overlap either sdie of entance will be approx 3 inches or 7cm bees come out of entrance turn left or right and map accordingly. anything coming in wont go straight in and wont have the map route in ... thinking about it the diagram would be like the approximatly equals to sign (hump backed bridge... ) hmmm good point i will have to do a picture when i need to do this.. does the description help, if not PM me and i will do a word and email reply...

 

[Skyhook]

Hi chycarne - just to confirm.

The mesh is simply of a size that wasps cannot pass through?

I am imagining a shape of mesh the size of a carboard tube the holds kitchen tin foil but the tube cut down its length. Correct?

The "half tube" is inserted into the opening with the bulging bit outwards and cut edges inward. This produces an entrance either end where the top/bottom of the tube would be - if the tube existed!! My how a picture would ever save a thousand words.

If i have got this correct, the only advantage i can see over a solid entrance reduction block is the maintaining of air flow. egards

FB

PS anyone see this work?
PPS might have found a use for that role of seive mesh after all?

You use this in conjunction with the solid entrance reducer. The point being that wasps are single minded. They can see the entrance in the centre and will aim straight for it, being unable to enter because of the mesh. The bees seem able to work out the requirement to go along the mesh tunnel. I suspect it helps if you put it on at night, so they have to leave this way before having to find their way back in. I've heard the same thing done with a sheet of glass across the front of the hive.

 

[RosieMc]

Has anyone got a photo of one of these mesh/tube/entrance-reducer thing-a-ma-bobs?

All I can understand of the explanations is the entrance is blocked and the only way in/out is through a rammed in plastic hair curler that's poking out ...

 

[chycarne]

Rosie,
no! quite the opposite the guard is, as I described, over the entance extending to either side of the entrance so that the bees enter from the hive make a right angle turn walk along the mesh and fly, usually mapping at that point where the exit for them was. there is no tube stuck into the entrance like a hair curler.. . the effect is like a moustache over the entance but is actually over the mouth with the flat edges pinned or stapled top and bottom to ensure a good fit

 

[dickndoris]

Ahhhhh! I get you now. It all is clear to me. Cheers Chicarne, and everyone else also...

 

[ElectricBlueBee]

The iphone bit made me chuckle.

 

[Swarm]

Imagine this .....

... XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
... <===== ======>
... -------- ------

X = Half round mesh tube pinned to hive by drawing pins above and below entrance.
<== Direction of bees out of hive
----- Front of hive showing entrance.

On posting, the diagram is altered but it should help

 

[Skyhook]

Imagine this .....

... XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
... <============ ===========>
... --------------------------- ---------------------------

X = Half round mesh tube pinned to hive by drawing pins above and below entrance.
<== Direction of bees out of hive
----- Front of hive showing entrance.

That didn't give quite the right impression on my screen, as it moved the X's, so I'm taking the liberty of trying to edit it. Works better now on my screen at least

 

[Swarm]

Yeah, lost the entrance too but it still gives an idea.

 

[Daithebees]

If you let me have your email address, I'll send you a copy of a couple of ideas that I was recently given. These traps are perported to catch about 200 wasp a day. I lost two colonies last year under exactly the same contiditions that you are experiencing.

Daithebees([email protected])

 

[dickndoris]

PM sent to Daithebees

 

[Silly Bee]

all i an going to do is roll somesh around some dowling, open it back out so it is curved around the dowel, but both sides can be tapped flat. narrow down the hive entrance (in middle of front) place tube of mesh alon entrance pinning the mesh top and bottom. the overlap either sdie of entance will be approx 3 inches or 7cm bees come out of entrance turn left or right and map accordingly. anything coming in wont go straight in and wont have the map route in ... thinking about it the diagram would be like the approximatly equals to sign (hump backed bridge... ) hmmm good point i will have to do a picture when i need to do this.. does the description help, if not PM me and i will do a word and email reply...

Thats much the same as Victor Meldrew explained last year. I tried it and it worked great.

I used a piece of varroa mesh, about 6" long, made into a tunnel and closed at one end with a 2 bee (approx) space as an entrance/exit.

 

[Silly Bee]

ps

When you first fit it, it confuses the bees for a hour or so, so fit it on a nice day in case they get "shut out" They will sort out how, Wasps haven't got a clue.