Wasps under hive

[gwt_uk]

Hello all,

I put a wet super back on a hive on Sunday for the bees to clean up. Yesterday I noticed around a dozen wasps under the hive (the hive is on a pallet) eating whatever was falling through the OMF. The wasps were not attempting to get into the colony via the entrance and there appeared to be a good number of guard bees.

The hive already has an entrance excluder. Anything else I should be doing? A bit worried that that the wasps may start to get greedier and more aggressive!

 

[enrico]

Not sure what you mean by an entrance excluder

 

[The Poot]

I suspect you mean “reducer” not “excluder”.

Additionally you could create tunnel entrances and add wasp traps.
There’s LOADS of information on the forum on both.

 

[gwt_uk]

I suspect you mean “reducer” not “excluder”.

Additionally you could create tunnel entrances and add wasp traps.
There’s LOADS of information on the forum on both.

Not sure what you mean by an entrance excluder - sorry yes meant reducer! It’s a big standard Thorne’s entrance block.

 

[gwt_uk]

Not sure what you mean by an entrance excluder

sorry meant reducer!

 

[Karol]

The devil is in the detail. Have you observed what the wasps are carrying away with them? Wasps hunt for insect prey during their hunting season. If for example a hive has a heavy infestation of varroa or hive beetle or wax moth or bees are infected and dying then this will attract wasps to scavange at the hive. Maybe nothing but maybe a red flag for something else and worth investigating (at the right opportunity).

 

[gwt_uk]

The devil is in the detail. Have you observed what the wasps are carrying away with them? Wasps hunt for insect prey during their hunting season. If for example a hive has a heavy infestation of varroa or hive beetle or wax moth or bees are infected and dying then this will attract wasps to scavange at the hive. Maybe nothing but maybe a red flag for something else and worth investigating (at the right opportunity).

thank you. Will keep this in mind

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have wasps underneath. Taking dead bees

 

[gwt_uk]

I have wasps underneath. Taking dead bees

thanks. It looked like the wasps were were rummaging around fallen wax, pollen etc that had come through the OMF. I am just wondering if the wet super I put back has attracted them.

 

[Karol]

I have wasps underneath.

Could be a sign of diabetes.

Taking dead bees

Oh! You mean underneath your hives. Oops. Sorry.

 

[Karol]

thanks. It looked like the wasps were were rummaging around fallen wax, pollen etc that had come through the OMF. I am just wondering if the wet super I put back has attracted them.

Unlikely to be due simply to a wet super. Might possibly be wax moth larvae in the wax if no evidence of dead bees being taken.

 

[gwt_uk]

Unlikely to be due simply to a wet super. Might possibly be wax moth larvae in the wax if no evidence of dead bees being taken.

thanks will have a closer look.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Could be a sign of diabetes.

I sometimes worry about you Karol

 

[Karol]

I sometimes worry about you Karol

How sweet of you!

Anecdotally, and just out of interest, have had two ladies comment that wasps always seemed to take a keen interest in them. Suggested that they might have sweet blood (adopting a polite sensitive approach) and perhaps get checked for diabetes. Low and behold diabetes confirmed. Who would have thought wasps are almost as good as medical detection dogs!