Wasps

[dobby]

Hi All
I was doing the weekly inspection, when around and under hive 1. I noticed there were wasps, and 2 whent into the brood box onto the frams, these where removed and flattend this colony is only small only on 6 frames at the moment so no supper I am using a rapid feeder with sugar syrup will there be ok
Lee

 

[Polyanwood]

If you have lots of forage around, it is probably worth stopping feeding them now - which might discourage the wasps. Also reducing the entrance a bit will make it easier for them to defend themselves against intruders. I wouldn't put the entrance block back on, but I would put a piece of foam lagging or a handful of grass in the entrance to make it a bit smaller.

Here the wasps have just started attacking the bees that come back from foraging heavy and tired, and land on the ground. They sting them, and when they are dead they cut them up and fly away with their abdomens.

I am not sure about wasp traps, but lots of beekeepers use them and will advise you I'm sure.

 

[whizzwheels]

I noticed a few wasps round my hive last night and a couple of my bees in fights with them, but everything seemed to be under control.
I put the entrance blocks back onto to reduce the entrance a bit as I've only had the bees just over two weeks and at the inspection last sunday were only just moving onto the forth frame. However there was loads of capped brood cells.
However there were still half a dozen tired bees around the hive this morning.

 

[jezd]

Syrup feed is a nightmare for robbing wasps, be careful not to spill even a small bit - when you open the hive watch closely how the bees react to the zig zag flight path of wasps, they dont like them at all.

I think I am surrounded by wasp nests

 

[daytonadean]

wasp feeder

Wasps....
I use a rapid feeder but dont insert the inner cup. fill it with sugar syrup and add a egg cup full of a sprit, wisky or the like. leave the feeder near to the hives but not next to them so the wasps can get under and into the feeder. last year i must have collected about 400 wasps over a month. the bees don't like the alochol and leave the feeder alone..

Dean

 

[Frisbee]

I put up traps............a plastic squash bottle cut off at the shoulder and then the top turned upside down and put into the bottle to form a funnel, parcel tape the two together and make a couple of holes for string, bait it with jam and water, hang near to the hives. Wasps are attracted to the jam, but bees aren't interested. It will probably need emptying on a regular basis. last year I had 3 up and needed to empty and rebait every week. I also caught hornets, flys and moths in them.

The arguments against using something like that so close to the hives is that you are attracting wasps, but that is not true. Wasps are already attracted to the hives, they send out scouts for food the same as bees do.

I've seen the first wasps around mine so will be putting up traps soon.

Frisbee

 

[dobby]

Thanks for the in for the info and advice, I will have a look around and maybe set up some traps.
Lee

 

[grizzly]

Was surprised to see wasps in and around my hives today, i think the colonies should be strong enough to defend themselves tho.

theres a definite difference in buzz when they are flying round your head, a lower sound than the bees.

Normally i wage war on the wasps, but i got a harder time from the bees today.

 

[hedgerow pete]

the wasps are after the honey stores for a sugar rush but are realy after the grubs for food, unlike your bees wasps need meat as well as sugar, we always used to put cat food in the wasp traps

 

[POPZ]

Wasps....
I use a rapid feeder but dont insert the inner cup. fill it with sugar syrup and add a egg cup full of a sprit, wisky or the like. leave the feeder near to the hives but not next to them so the wasps can get under and into the feeder. last year i must have collected about 400 wasps over a month. the bees don't like the alochol and leave the feeder alone..

Dean

Great idea daytondean. I just taken feeder away from my nuc this evening and wondering what to do with it. Now I know - thanks

 

[ribblesbees]

So far the few wasps that have been seen near to the hive have been more interested in other stuff - plants water etc so theres not a problem yet. However I'll be taking on board some of your tips for stopping wasps cos I know they are bound to be a problem in the near future.

 

[hedgerow pete]

when it gets towards late august september time they will rob your hives blind ,
we always used to have a saying in the country side, kill a wasp in aprill and you kill 20 ,000, because it is only the queen that survives the winter so the fist wasp you see is the queen , kill her and there is no nest later on

 

[Hawklord]

You shouldn't kill the wasps until the butterflies have flown.

 

[whizzwheels]

This weekend I noticed a wasp seemed to be attacking the bees as they left the hive and then having a fight with them in front of the hive.
They didn't seem to have any interest in entering the hive!

 

[Geoff]

I wouldn't kill queen wasps in the spring. They are very useful insects. Most of the time they are quietly going about their business preying on mainly pest species such as caterpillars which they take back to feed their grubs. They don't become a nuisance usually until the nests break up in late summer and the adults no longer have the source of sweet liquid that they get from the grubs. If wasps are trying to get in the hive, perhaps to pinch bee grubs, then narrow the entrance and the guard bees should usually be able to deal with them. In late summer then use wasp traps with a sweet liquid.