Wasps

[Nannysbees]

Hardly any wasps here compared to last year and the ones I've seen are really small

 

[Repwoc]

I came across this in the orchard next to my apiary. Obviously it is/was a nest of small wasps which has been dug up. What animal might have done this? A badger? I haven't seen any other signs of badgers. Otherwise not many wasps around yet - even with lots of fallen fruit.

 

[ericbeaumont]

A badger?

Probably; seen badgered wasp nests in the past.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Probably; seen badgered wasp nests in the past.

seen two badgered wasp nest this year

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just been sorting out my bulk rat bait order with my commercial supplier and the usual chat around 'how's business this year' quickly came round to wasp control, apparently it's been fairly quiet on the wasp control front all over the country this season. Most pesties are complaining about the lack of calls.

 

[Erichalfbee]

They are all in my kitchen being zapped by the electric trap.

 

[The Poot]

They are all in my kitchen being zapped by the electric trap.

The pesties or the wasps?

 

[Erichalfbee]

The pesties or the wasps?

Wasps

BUT looked this afternoon one of my colonies is getting a tad too much attention and wasps are getting in so closed the UFE right down and put a trap in front of the hive

 

[beeker]

We have a goat willow just outside the door, it has been alive with wasps the last few weeks, to the point you can actually hear them inside the house, with only a few bothering the hives at the end of the garden fortunately.
Unfortunately other half left the door open the other night when she had friends round, and the light on . Never seen so many wasps in a house.

 

[Karol]

Still seeing wasps hunting so can still expect pressure on hives to build later in the fall.

 

[Buzby]

Still seeing wasps hunting so can still expect pressure on hives to build later in the fall.

Autumn, please.

 

[Karol]

Autumn, please.

By way of explanation, I use the term fall as it better describes that part of autumn when leaves and more importantly the last of the fruit 'falls' when food becomes more scarce for wasps resulting in more concentrated and concerted pressure on hives. It is perhaps the most hazardous time for hives because even strong hives can quickly succumb to such unanticipated attacks especially when there has been an inclemently weather delayed wasp season.

 

[CaptainCymru]

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.

+1 on the Cheshire front , I've done 3 nests and still got swarming wasps , thankfully the hives are now strong and withstanding them but it's awful.

 

[Markthebuilder]

Masses of wasps around mine the glut of plumbs isn’t helping so I have bought a couple of very expensive wasp traps and hope they are as good as they say.
Have to admit that giving the bees a helping hand to defend their entrance for ten minuets at a time is very therapeutic especially after a day dealing with idiots

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Autumn, please.

You do realise that 'fall' is an old Engljsh word for autumn and was exported to America with the Pilgrim Fathers

 

[Karol]

Masses of wasps around mine the glut of plumbs isn’t helping so I have bought a couple of very expensive wasp traps and hope they are as good as they say.
Have to admit that giving the bees a helping hand to defend their entrance for ten minuets at a time is very therapeutic especially after a day dealing with idiots

A word of caution. Squishing wasps on a hive coats the hive in wasp alarm pheromones which will only serve to act as a distress beacon to all wasps for miles around. Not very healthy for the hive and a number of beeks have lost hives as a consequence.

 

[Markthebuilder]

A word of caution. Squishing wasps on a hive coats the hive in wasp alarm pheromones which will only serve to act as a distress beacon to all wasps for miles around.

I am not saying there is no truth in this and
I have been brought up with this idea and used to believe it but never Sean evidence,
since watching Rodger P demonstrate that bees do not automatically home in on a sting site I have undertaken my own experiments. Thought more about it And observed wasps and bees interact.

I can understand the pheromone/ attack theory in defence of a home and have seen bees fanning to attract others to a new home .

However the idea of wasps coming to the rescue of their fallen / injured brethren seams originate more more from loony tunes cartoons than fact.

bees and wasps don’t appear to sting each though it could be too quick for my eyes and I have seen the odd dead bee that could have been the result of a wasp attack.
They do bump each other and bees particularly will cling on and drag wasps.out of the hive

I have noted bees are quick to suck up any juice arising from a squished wasp near the entrance to the hive
my personal exp is that I haven’t Sean any notable increase in wasp numbers due to squishing wasps

wasps quickly home in on a food source.
No doubt once one goes home and tells his mates they follow back or possibly they give off pheromone whilst feeding.
you can kill as many as you like but more keep coming.
however remove the food source and the wasps quickly lose interest regardless of how many of their fallen brethren are on the site.

If wasps do get into a hive in any number the only resolution appears to be to close it up or move it.

to support the pheromone idea I have seen bees mass on a red Wooly glove however the wearer only sustaind 2 stings.
I have also received multiple stings/ attacks to my thumb and forefinger when using a hive tool and lifting out frames but have put this down to clumsiness.

Wasps do seam to be the spitfire of the insect world and manage to be able to fly even when severely damaged. I haven’t yet Seen one go into attack mode due to injury they just seam to want to get out of there. Bees on the other hand appear to roll over dead at the mention of hmf or the v word.
What I am certain of is that time taken to ensure the hive entrance is literally only just big enough for a bee to get through when wasps are about in numbers is critical.

 

[beebopper]

Remarkably few wasp here too. Never known there to be so few. Also poor blackberry and honey year though . I put it down to an incredibly wet spring which even rotted a lot of my onion bulbs which I have also never seen before.

 

[user 819]

Noticed plenty of wasps at the out apiary yesterday though all on the ivy, a much better place then making a nuisance of themselves at the hives.
Started to feed 80% of colonies yesterday as most have poor stores of only 5 - 8lbs.

 

[user 20297]

In my observation, robbing bees seem a bigger threat to bees than robbing wasps. The wasps give in when (as they always are) challenged. The robber bees put up a fight when a few of them arrive at the same time. The tussles with bumbles are the most entertaining.