Wasps

[Murox]

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.

That reminded me - a couple of checkups/inspection ago I encountered a bumble, doing whatever bumbles do, inside a hive completely unmolested, it buzzed off during the course of my manipulations.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

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.

I've literally NO plums and very few pears/apples on my trees this year. Inopportunely timed frosts wiped out the blossom. Similarly my Evodia and Robinia have no flowers because frost nipped off all the early growth.
There are only a few wasps in evidence so far but I treated a nest I found recently with Digrain which is an alternative.to the usual ficam-w

 

[drdrday]

I've literally NO plums and very few pears/apples on my trees this year. Inopportunely timed frosts wiped out the blossom.

Almost the same here. No plums or cherries whatsoever. Literally one cooking apple on our Bramley and just one eating apple on that tree (although that was only put in last year). Our pear tree however has done fantastically well. I guess it was all just down to the timings of the frosts and the blossom.
As a plus though, we've had hardly any wasps. I haven't bothered putting any traps out at all this year, as they are so few in number, and those that are around are really small.

 

[fizzle]

As a plus though, we've had hardly any wasps. I haven't bothered putting any traps out at all this year, as they are so few in number, and those that are around are really small.

I suspect it is going to be somewhat different next year with the mild Autumn were are having. I'm still seeing plenty around and spotted a Queen earlier so can only assume they are still producing.

 

[Amari]

I suspect it is going to be somewhat different next year with the mild Autumn were are having. I'm still seeing plenty around and spotted a Queen earlier so can only assume they are still producing.

Yes, still a few individuals attempting to enter my hives but quickly attacked by the guards. So different from last year when I lost two colonies because of mass invasion.

 

[The Poot]

I suspect it is going to be somewhat different next year with the mild Autumn were are having. I'm still seeing plenty around and spotted a Queen earlier so can only assume they are still producing.

Yes, here I see wasps still cutting up dead bees to take them away to their nest - so still raising young at this late stage?

 

[enrico]

Almost the same here. No plums or cherries whatsoever. Literally one cooking apple on our Bramley and just one eating apple on that tree (although that was only put in last year). Our pear tree however has done fantastically well. I guess it was all just down to the timings of the frosts and the blossom.
As a plus though, we've had hardly any wasps. I haven't bothered putting any traps out at all this year, as they are so few in number, and those that are around are really small.

No plums but pear trees laden. We have a spare fridge full of them to lengthen their keeping ability. Our cherry plums which are the first fruit out, were a really good crop too. Luckily we filled the freezer with them which was good considering the poor plum proper crop! Just enough apples for us!

 

[Karol]

Yes, here I see wasps still cutting up dead bees to take them away to their nest - so still raising young at this late stage?

The devil is in the detail. If the wasps are taking the whole bee minus head and appendages then most likely still in the hunting phase and raising brood. If the wasps are just taking abdomens from returning foraging bees then they most likely will be sweet feeding by stealing nectar from the bee's crop.

 

[The Poot]

The devil is in the detail. If the wasps are taking the whole bee minus head and appendages then most likely still in the hunting phase and raising brood. If the wasps are just taking abdomens from returning foraging bees then they most likely will be sweet feeding by stealing nectar from the bee's crop.

They were cutting up dead bees, not returning bees, so I assumed still raising brood. This really surprised me in November; but around here the wasps seemed to be hit hard in the early Summer, by bad weather, so perhaps they’re all playing catch up with the extended mild spell?