Wasps

[Oliver Cameron-Swan]

Any advice on tackling wasps bothering one of my hives would be very welcome. I don't think they're getting robbed massively but there are persistent visitors that aren't being kept out of the hive.

 

[hemo]

Reduce the entrance down to one or two be space only, my nuc's have a singular 9mm dia entrance all year round.
Look up entrance tunnels in the search area using a bit of plastic conduit.

 

[Karol]

Any advice on tackling wasps bothering one of my hives would be very welcome. I don't think they're getting robbed massively but there are persistent visitors that aren't being kept out of the hive.

Situations like this can escalate very quickly so need to be nipped in the bud.

By and large wasps are still in their hunting phase so wasp pressure has yet to reach its peak which may explain why wasp numbers are still low but that could change anytime.

It's important that wasps are prevented from getting into the hive because if they are successful at getting in and identify the hive as a quality food source they will recruit their nest mates and what may have started as a few wasps getting in can in an instant change to swarm feeding which is a step closer to losing the hive.

If the hive is relatively strong then it may be enough just to sort out the entrance and there are plenty of threads on the forum regarding tunnel/underfloor entrances. Simply reducing the entrance to one bee size doesn't afford the hive the same protection as a tunnel entrance which can be guarded by multiple ranks of sentry bees. The important thing is not to leave it but to act promptly.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Any advice on tackling wasps bothering one of my hives would be very welcome. I don't think they're getting robbed massively but there are persistent visitors that aren't being kept out of the hive.

Two threads on tunnel entrances in the stickies section
HERE

 

[Worker bee]

If my hives start to get robbed I take them to another apiary and reduce the entrances. The hive can then be moved back later if I'm overwintering hives in that apiary I put it off as long as possible to move them back to it. This isnt possible to some because they don't move hives to farmland or heather. In that case it would be best if you could ask another beekeeper you trust or friends and family if they have a spot for it for a few weeks

 

[IndiBee]

I have never seen so many wasps, they are even getting through reduced entrances and 'maze' entrances.
I have resorted to putting unused nucs out as bait and kill stations. Don't like to do it, but they are having quite an effect.

 

[Worker bee]

I have never seen so many wasps, they are even getting through reduced entrances and 'maze' entrances.
I have resorted to putting unused nucs out as bait and kill stations. Don't like to do it, but they are having quite an effect.

I had a bad problem last year at one of my apiarys. I think I made the mistake of feeding them on a nice sunny day so had to move the weaker ones. This year I've seen hardly any but still time yet. They tend to target splits in nucs or weakish hives

 

[Erichalfbee]

Fairly quiet here in west Wales.

 

[victor meldrew]

Fairly quiet here in west Wales.

Only seen 3 or 4 wasps the whole of the year !
I have wasp traps around baited with a tried and tested bait .
4/5 wasps in just one trap . There is a Christmas tree close by my apiary which is usually covered in wasps after sap. None this year .
I think the cold spring followed by a deluge followed by a mini drought from which they never recovered has a lot to do with it .

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Fairly quiet here in west Wales.

quite a few around but not being much of a nuisance - when I did the extraction a few weeks ago there was a cloud of wasps around the back garden and they were in like a shot if I left a window open. Had a few wasp nest 'enquiries' and had to deal with a colony that a badger had dug up in SWMBO's best friend's garden last week.

 

[The Poot]

Hardly any around here this year.

 

[Monbees]

Hardly any around here this year.

Same here Poot, but keeping my fingers crossed as I think Karol said sweet feeding hasn't really started yet ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

quite a few around but not being much of a nuisance - when I did the extraction a few weeks ago there was a cloud of wasps around the back garden and they were in like a shot if I left a window open. Had a few wasp nest 'enquiries' and had to deal with a colony that a badger had dug up in SWMBO's best friend's garden last week.

Wel I went to feed bees last night at 8.30. Getting dark. Stan has just mowed the field and drive through a wasp nest near a perimeter path so decided to come with me to put some petrol down it. “Too early.” I said. “You’ll have to come back in the dark.” This morning there’s a cloud of angry wasps buzzing about outside it !

 

[tonyofarr]

Last year I had terrible problems with wasps at one apiary and was using tunnel entrances and wasp bane, and the first wasp bane trap was full in about a fort night. They were really large wasps and relentless, and they were still hanging around in December. I had 2 colonies at that site that I did not think would survive Winter, but with a bit of tlc they did and we got a reasonable amount of honey from them.

This year we have got wasp problems at a different apiary, and the one above at the moment does not appear to have a problem.

I have not seen any European hornets yet, I have never had a problem with them and my bees and I really like them. I have had hornets nests on the smallholding before and have a live and let live policy with them, I like to stand and watch them as they are pretty impressive.

 

[rebeldee]

We've had an awful year for wasps here in Cheshire. We usually have quite a high number of them, but they were three inches deep in the traps inside 48 hours. I hate killing them but they were just constantly buzzing around the hive. I took advice to put a trap directly under the hive and that worked great. They seem to be slowly disappearing but I do mean slowly.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I spent this afternoon spraying 40 boxes of comb with Dipel, as I opened the boxes I got more bees arriving to nose onto the boxes and by the time I had finished I has quite a swarm of nosey bees. I only saw 2 wasps!
Last year I had wasps chewing there way between stacks of supers to get access but this year I've hardly seen any. Strange year this!

 

[E&MBees]

I spent this afternoon spraying 40 boxes of comb with Dipel, as I opened the boxes I got more bees arriving to nose onto the boxes and by the time I had finished I has quite a swarm of nosey bees. I only saw 2 wasps!
Last year I had wasps chewing there way between stacks of supers to get access but this year I've hardly seen any. Strange year this!

Do you take each frame out to spray, or just spray in between each frame whilst they are in the box?

 

[Swarm]

One by one.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Do you take each frame out to spray, or just spray in between each frame whilst they are in the box?

Yes I spray each one but it's not hard, probably takes a minute or so per box. A couple of squirts a side.

 

[E&MBees]

Yes I spray each one but it's not hard, probably takes a minute or so per box. A couple of squirts a side.

Thanks. I’ve got the stuff and a sprayer. Didn’t have any frames to do last year, so this is my first time.