Wasps on wet super

[Levitt53]

I found this this morning in the one wet super I'm storing. Most of the frames were unwired so probably a bit more honey left than would have been with wired frames. I guess some has dropped down into the paving slab. It's quite near my hives but there isn't a wasp problem with them. Should I do anything or let the jaspers have a little treat?

 

[enrico]

I would get the wasps off it and feed it back to the bees who need it more than wasps. Don't believe the stories about wax moth by the way, uncovered my wet supers to feed them back to the bees for Autumn and wax moth was in two of them......

 

[Levitt53]

Is there any problem to leave it? The hives all have nadired supers so I don't want to give them another box. I'm going in holiday on Saturday so don't have much time. I could go out there one night and give the paving slabs a scrub with soapy water. However if it hasn't lead them to the hives is there a problem. All hives are quite strong and have reduced entrances. I'll be more conscientious next year.

 

[Jambo]

Is there any problem to leave it?

Feeding your bees' hard work to b@5tard!ng wasps seems a bit wasteful but other than that probably not..!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Feeding your bees' hard work to b@5tard!ng wasps seems a bit wasteful but other than that probably not..!

Why have you that opinion of wasps?
The food is there and they have helped themselves.
Bees robbing other bees.......... now they are real b@5tards

 

[Levitt53]

I've looked at it again and it seems to be just a small patch that has seeped through into the paving stone. I probably left too much in one frame, it was our first time using the spinner. I'll leave it I think. If I move the box the slab will still attract wasps so nothing much to be done and nit much that the bees have missed out on.

 

[taurus]

When I put my wet supers out (over a spare OMF and under a well sealed roof) the wasps were very interested. I put my wasp trap under the stack and promptly solved the problem of the wasps bothering the hives. It seems to have caught the lot of them. I guess the supers attracted them, but being unable to get in they went for the wasp trap instead.

Fiendish!

 

[Swarm]

I would get a sheet of ply between bottom super and floor and same on top. Strap that lot tight and then stick the roof on.

 

[Softley]

I would get a sheet of ply between bottom super and floor and same on top. Strap that lot tight and then stick the roof on.

That sheet of ply needs a name...

 

[JWF]

That sheet of ply needs a name...

An undercover board

 

[Swarm]

No name, any sheet of ply will do. My supers are all bagged individually and stacked.

 

[Erichalfbee]

An undercover board

No need to buy yet more kit. Turn the super upside down and you can use one of your crownboards

 

[taurus]

Hmm - I did that last year and found some of the supers went mouldy. This year I've got them over a spare OMF with just the top sealed up tight.

I figured honey is hydroscopic so the small amount left in the comb had attracted moisture. Quite of few of the combs were filled with water which certainly wasn't there when I stacked them up - and they were under a porch roof so they didn't get rained on.

 

[Swarm]

Try putting each super in a plastic bag, even double bag them and then seal and stack them. Nice heady smell in Spring that the bees love.

 

[Softley]

No need to buy yet more kit. Turn the super upside down and you can use one of your crownboards

A crownboard is all I use too. The rim of the crownboard stops any honey that drips from the frames from seeping out. I also keep them off the ground so they don't get damp.

 

[bontbee]

I.... It's quite near my hives but there isn't a wasp problem with them. Should I do anything or let the jaspers have a little treat?

There is a possibility that once the wasps have finished their free gift, they might start looking to the next nearest supply.....!!

 

[Levitt53]

I've got some of those useless plastic crown boards that come with the poly hives. They are good for separating things so we'll go out tonight in the dark and put one of those underneath.

 

[pargyle]

I've got some of those useless plastic crown boards that come with the poly hives. They are good for separating things so we'll go out tonight in the dark and put one of those underneath.

Thats what I use the Paynes poly 'crownboards' for ... nice and thin and they quickly stick to the super when you strap them down - perfect for that purpose - I find them useless as crown boards but put one beneath the stack and then one between each super and it keeps them really nice over winter.