Wasps

[andy-glide]

Wasps are now out and flying, killed a queen which must have over wintered in my house, so that one less colony to worry about!

 

[bjosephd]

I think I've recently saved 3 or 4 big fat queen wasps who I find every so often buzzing around the conservatory.

I catch them in a glass, and let them out.

 

[amigadave]

Wasps are now out and flying, killed a queen which must have over wintered in my house, so that one less colony to worry about!

At a talk about the Asian hornet that I went to recently, the local bee inspector pointed out that wasps are beneficial early in the season (and not too much of a problem for bees nor humans) and only became a problem later in the season. This was in the context of putting out hornet traps early in the season and how it would affect wasps and European hornets.
The robbing of bee colonies by wasps was said to only happen later in the season, when other wasp forage is scarce. Still, I wouldn't want a wasp nest in my house either!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I leave them alone. They are hugely beneficial insects and my colonies cope with them in the summer; underfloor entrances, strong colonies, Waspbane if needed to protect smaller nucs.
We've been here before and arguments got quite heated.
It's a pity Karol isn't here any more.

 

[MartinL]

wasps are beneficial early in the season (and not too much of a problem for bees nor humans) and only became a problem later in the season. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I wouldn't want a wasp nest in my house either!

Talking to one of the lads at work last night on this.

One option would to be to tuck one (Queen Wasp), into a nuke keep it cosy and place in a prominent position where it can establish a strong territory and deter other wasps.

Then later in the summer, (when they might start to become a problem) close it up after dark and drop in the freezer for a couple of days.

 

[Tremyfro]

We've been finding quite a number of queen wasps recently...still fairly sleepy. One stung my husbands hand when he was lifting a bag of wood pellets....they seem to like our shed. Last year they weren't too bad around the beehives...not like the previous year when they killed one nuc.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Talking to one of the lads at work last night on this.

One option would to be to tuck one (Queen Wasp), into a nuke keep it cosy and place in a prominent position where it can establish a strong territory and deter other wasps.

Then later in the summer, (when they might start to become a problem) close it up after dark and drop in the freezer for a couple of days.

So your friend thinks that one wasp nest will defend a hive against others while robbing it ?

 

[bjosephd]

I'm banking on having a nice big asian hornet nest in my orchard to protect all my hives from all the wasps and other asian hornet.

 

[MartinL]

So your friend thinks that one wasp nest will defend a hive against others while robbing it ?

Not exactly but a nest that's been placed in a known place within easy reach is surely a better option for when they start to get obnoxious mid summer?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

So your friend thinks that one wasp nest will defend a hive against others while robbing it ?

I reserve judgement but Google Waspinator and it's alleged that a visible wasps nest acts as a deterrent to hunting wasps. I hung one in my apiary last year and whether by coincidence, lack of local wasp population or any other reason I didn't have any noticeable wasp visitations.
I'm told Beverley BKA hung one at their association apiary but don't know if it had an effect.

 

[masterBK]

A few years ago I was called out to a swarm in a garden hedge that turned out to be a wasps nest. There were also 3 other wasp nests in the same hedge all within yards of each other so I wonder if this territory argument that wasps don't build nests near other nests is a fallacy in which case the waspinator is unlikely to work.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not exactly but a nest that's been placed in a known place within easy reach is surely a better option for when they start to get obnoxious mid summer?

Yes if they were the only ones but I found six nests in the same field next to the apiary last year. I think wasps forage as far as honey bees once the nest has matured and there are no larvae to free the workers

 

[Millet]

Leave them alone End Of, if you can not manage your hives and make them wasp proof you need to take up a different pass time.

 

[Cazza]

Leave them alone End Of, if you can not manage your hives and make them wasp proof you need to take up a different pass time.

Hurrah. Go Millet.

Cazza

 

[Little John]

Leave them alone End Of, if you can not manage your hives and make them wasp proof you need to take up a different pass time.

A nice example of flame-bait.

Whether people want to kill wasps, or let them be - that's their choice - and it's not for you, or indeed anyone else, to tell people whether they should, or should not kill wasps.

Is tolerance such a difficult concept to embrace ?
LJ

 

[deanrpwaacs]

Is tolerance such a difficult concept to embrace ?
LJ[/QUOTE]

Then surely people should learn to tolerate wasps ?
They do more good than harm .
As said earlier . Strong hives and underfloor entrances and there will not be an issue .

 

[MartinL]

So your friend thinks that one wasp nest will defend a hive against others while robbing it ?

Not exactly but a nest that's been placed in a known place within easy reach is surely a better option for when they start to get obnoxious mid summer?

My friend is a Gardener, not a beekeeper

Leave them alone End Of, if you can not manage your hives and make them wasp proof you need to take up a different pass time.

A nice example of flame-bait.

Or Typical Geordie chat?

Is tolerance such a difficult concept to embrace ?
LJ

Back "yam in Nuksle", in a brown ale stupor??
Don't forget, (thanks to a very small gene pool) they're only one step on the evolutionary scale from Jimmie Krankie and her lot, (they lost the referendum so want another one)?


So, I'd say that perspicacity is probably the issue.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well the op has lit the blue touch paper and stepped back to watch the fireworks.
Sigh.......

 

[Millet]

Is tolerance such a difficult concept to embrace ?
LJ

Then surely people should learn to tolerate wasps ?
They do more good than harm .
As said earlier . Strong hives and underfloor entrances and there will not be an issue .[/QUOTE]

in my first year i was a bit naive as far as wasps where concerned, i went on a all out attack killing everyone i seen, that was until Karol stepped in and educated me for the better, this time of the year and leading up to the back end of summer i totally ignore them as they cause no harm what so ever, when they do show interest in the hive they have no chance of gaining access with my modified entrance, i do place a waspbane near to the hive late on in the year just to be on the safe side.
If folk want to be blinkered and waste there life chasing wasps about crack on it is not for me, and who ever called me a Gordie do a bit of research on town and city folks nick names because you are so wrong.

 

[bjosephd]

...when they do show interest in the hive they have no chance of gaining access with my modified entrance

What's your version of a wasp modified entrance? I built one last year and am going to experiment further. Mine is a kind of deep underfloor entrance using a deep lang brood box modified to be a floor. I'll try and get pictures if I cycle it out for a clean up this season.

BJD