Wasps!

[youngyoungs]

Help please.
I've been to check my rural out apairy and have noticed that the wasps are still visiting the hives. All hives (10) had their entrances reduced to a minimum. The bees are flying but they don't seem to have any interest in keeping out the wasps. I expected the wasps nests to have died out by now.

Is it possible that a nearby wasps nest has a queen who has continued to lay through the winter?

Is there any way I can track where this nest is (and kill the nest)?

Short of moving the hives, are there any other tips for keeping the wasps out.

 

[Beefriendly]

You will probably find they are cohabiting with your bees, using their warmth to stay alive.

 

[Millet]

Help please.
I've been to check my rural out apairy and have noticed that the wasps are still visiting the hives. All hives (10) had their entrances reduced to a minimum. The bees are flying but they don't seem to have any interest in keeping out the wasps. I expected the wasps nests to have died out by now.

Is it possible that a nearby wasps nest has a queen who has continued to lay through the winter?

Is there any way I can track where this nest is (and kill the nest)?

Short of moving the hives, are there any other tips for keeping the wasps out.

I very much doubt the Queen Wasp will be laying at this time of the year..the larvae need a protein diet of insects and other meat sources..that is unless they are worker wasps raiding your hives for bees..which i very much doubt again...never seen a wasp here since the beginning of bommy night..

 

[Karol]

Help please.
I've been to check my rural out apairy and have noticed that the wasps are still visiting the hives. All hives (10) had their entrances reduced to a minimum. The bees are flying but they don't seem to have any interest in keeping out the wasps. I expected the wasps nests to have died out by now.

Is it possible that a nearby wasps nest has a queen who has continued to lay through the winter?

Is there any way I can track where this nest is (and kill the nest)?

Short of moving the hives, are there any other tips for keeping the wasps out.

It is not unusual for wasps to persist into January. It's not the cold that kills them off, it's starvation. They will not be 'co-habiting' for warmth but they will be after whatever food reserves are in the hive. At this time of year there's very little fighting particularly if the honeybees are clustering so wasps will get a free pass to your fondant etc. And you'll need to heft your hives more frequently to monitor food consumption to prevent your hives starving out later in winter/early spring.

 

[Helen]

Found 3 queen wasps hibernating in the roofs of my hives last week.

Are wasps still attracted to wasp traps this time of the year?

 

[Millet]

Found 3 queen wasps hibernating in the roofs of my hives last week.

Are wasps still attracted to wasp traps this time of the year?

Give it a go.. the only thing around here attracted to wasp traps is the spiders in the Garage.

 

[Beefriendly]

It is not unusual for wasps to persist into January. It's not the cold that kills them off, it's starvation. .

Really, try sticking some in a fridge with an adequate supply of food and see how long they remain alive.
Not very......

 

[madasafish]

No wasps at this time of year round my hives in the garden # nor in the vicinity of the Association Apiary 6 miles away - well into the Staffs Moorlands.

The local badgers (no culling) have decimated the local to me wasp population## by digging out all ground nests they can find. The Assoc. Apiary has been hit by an increasing wasp population (no badgers) so we'll have to do Spring wasp queen trapping..

# we are on the edge of Cheshire - Congleton centre is 4 miles away but we are much higher (150+meters) than the Cheshire Plain.

## And the local hedgehogs as well.

 

[oliver90owner]

Yes, really. Once again a non-thinker. That the wasps cannot feed at the lower temperatures will lead to them sccumbing, shirle?

Trouble is some do not connect the proper facts together. They only think simple, if at all.

 

[Finman]

.
Let wasps take care of their own.

Insects, like a wasp, has fatbody tissue which keep them alive during time, when they do not get food.
Whole nature knows that it is now Winter.

 

[Somerford]

No wasps at this time of year round my hives in the garden # nor in the vicinity of the Association Apiary 6 miles away - well into the Staffs Moorlands.

The local badgers (no culling) have decimated the local to me wasp population## by digging out all ground nests they can find. The Assoc. Apiary has been hit by an increasing wasp population (no badgers) so we'll have to do Spring wasp queen trapping..
.

I'd use the Thorne Vita-Pharma traps as they are very good for culling spring queen wasp emergence

S

 

[madasafish]

I'd use the Thorne Vita-Pharma traps as they are very good for culling spring queen wasp emergence

S

thanks

 

[DaveS]

I've that problem too - many wasps coming and going as they please. I've closed up my hives for a couple of days at a time but they keep coming back. Single bee space entrance too.

Put on fondant due to concerns over stores although bees not taking it yet.

 

[youngyoungs]

Thanks all.