Wasps

[Robbie & Jans Bees]

Well 24th of March and I just seen 6 wasps around and on top of my hives could this mean an early spring I am trying a new system this year. I bought a shake in Mc Donalds and they have a clear plastic domed lid with a hole in top size of 10 pence pice perect for wasp traps will report back in June ish.

 

[Rosti]

Probably queens out from hybernation?

 

[Cazza]

Lat year I had a wasp nest in my roof. I decided to live with it and to adopt a "be kind to wasps" policy, alongside a "be very careful around syrup feeding, honey removal and opening up".
Result - no wasp interference around my hives and no need to trap or slaughter.
Cazza

 

[countryman]

opened up one yesterday and found a queen wasp just starting to build quickley dispatched

 

[Sean.]

I've had six here too, one yesterday was flying near the compost bin. It sounded like a drone, but then realised that it was a wasp.

 

[Midland Beek]

***Wasp paranoia alert***

 

[fatshark]

I've seen more queen wasps this season than the last two or three years. Perhaps the relatively mild winter benefitted them?

 

[FreeFall]

I saw 3 wasps here at the weekend, presumably queens. All of them were dead on the floor in front of the hive, so it seems the colony is well able to defend itself for now.

Nick

 

[Compostcritter]

Absloutely right! I have seen four queens and am paranoid they are setting up home in the shrubs next to one of my hives. Seriously thinking of chopping the shrubs down.

 

[snoop]

The wasps are working the gooseberries alongside the bees in my place

 

[madasafish]

3 Queen wasps on Wed: all together...

 

[Into the lions den]

My team are currently waxing a stack of frames that were steamed out last autumn and sat outside, albeit covered up, all winter.

At least a dozen queen wasps a day are emanating from the stacks where they have been overwintering and, despite the heat, are only slowly getting active now.

The girls have become expert queen wasp crunchers. By late last summer there were some truly massive wasps nest around, probably due to the early start they got in the 2011 April weather. My pest control operator that looks after our premises still talks about some that were four and five feet across that they took out in September. They must have sent out a massive amount of queens at seasons end.

Seeing as many queen wasps and queen bumbles this year as I have seen for a long time, possibly ever. Especially, but not exclusively, lots of rufous tailed bumbles. Never seen so many of these, so many we are picking them out of the radiator grilles on the cars each day before they perish.

 

[Robbie & Jans Bees]

started to strip

I have an office in the garden the wasps are now striping the wood off the front of the office just next two my Hives we had lots last year I hope this early start does not mean doubling my wasp traps?

 

[Busybee123]

It's even been warm enough here for the wasps to be out and about this week. They are stripping the wood off the outside of my chicken houses.

 

[TOBY-3652]

Wasps there is certainly more this year at the moment than last. Got a call yesterday when i got there about 10 queen wasps eating something off a conifer bush, and going different directions by the time i left killed about 25 all queens.. 25 nests in a month or 2. I cried all the way home.. Lol

 

[oldsalthouse]

14 queen wasps killed this week, 14 less nest..

 

[madasafish]

......

Seeing as many queen wasps and queen bumbles this year as I have seen for a long time, possibly ever. ..........

Seen at least 10 queen bumbles this year in one day.Last year I was lucky to see 2.

Lots of other insects as well flying in the garden. The bats at night are very active.

Edit: A mild winter, and farmer and neighbours using fewer pesticides?
Zillions of ladybirds .


I don't kill queen wasps.. unless they nest in our lower eaves. If in our upper ones - which they do a lot with an old house - I leave them...

Blackbirds nesting with lots of grubs ..

 

[tonybloke]

Well, I had a Queen Wasp crawl out of an orchid pot in the bathroom today, anyone else found Queen Wasps overwintering in strange places?

 

[the naked beekeeper]

My team are currently waxing a stack of frames that were steamed out last autumn and sat outside, albeit covered up, all winter.
.

Can I ask what your method/operation is for steaming them please?