Wasps

[Etton]

Saw a few wasps out today here in East Yorks. Must get my entrances wasp proofed.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Mine already are

 

[Buzzo]

virtually no Wasps around in the South East,maybe odd 1 around the hive Detritus . and none around my Coke cans so far.

 

[Etton]

Never sure whether wasp traps work. Maybe they attract wasps to the apiary?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Never sure whether wasp traps work. Maybe they attract wasps to the apiary?

More than a hive full of honey?

 

[Newbeeneil]

But the hive is protected by thousands of stinging insects…. The coke cans are not .

 

[enrico]

Read that one wasps nest can produce 1000 queen wasps for the following year!

 

[Newbeeneil]

Read that one wasps nest can produce 1000 queen wasps for the following year!

Probably, but the winter mortality rate is very high. It would have to be or we would be knee deep in wasps within a couple of years

 

[Dodge]

Never sure whether wasp traps work. Maybe they attract wasps to the apiary?

They attract if they don't trap the wasp that finds it. If a wasp gets away it tells its sisters where your appiary is.

 

[Karol]

One thing that I have noticed is that there is somewhat of a correlation between ants swarming and when wasps start to sweet feed so much so that IMHO ant swarming can be used as a prompt to getting one's integrated wasp measures in place.

 

[Amari]

All my hives sit on under-floor entrance floors. I find it good protection against wasps.

This spring I observed more queen wasps that usual. It's early Vespian days, time will tell.

 

[maddydog]

Wasps here have been sweet feeding for a week or so. I build my own floors (combination of tunnel and underfloor entrance) the only colonies that get predated are comprised in some way - queen less/drone layer etc.

 

[Nannysbees]

No sign of them here yet!!!!

 

[JimBee463]

Not seen many here either, in East Devon. I'm on UFE on my hive so i'm presuming they should be pretty safe with that(?)

 

[JamezF]

Wasps have been very thin on the ground here for the last two years which is something of a double-edged sword. I love seeing them in the Spring and early Summer because it usually means they're predating the creepy-crawlies that feed on my brassicas. Once we're past midsummer however, they're not so popular.

I do wonder if the topsy-turvy Spring weather that we've had for the last couple of years where it has been unusually warm before turning quite cold again is teasing the hibernating queens into action and then killing them off because they run out of food.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

been plenty of wasps around here most of the summer. Had to remove an impressive nest from behind an outhouse door for an elderly chapel deacon I know a few weeks ago and heard of plenty of others.

 

[JamezF]

Come to think of it, I've also seen very few hornets (of the European variety).

If I'm in my office when it's dark and the lights are on (I can touch type quite happily in the dark, so I don't always bother with the lights) during the summer I often get hornets head-butting the window when they're out hunting. This year I have seen absolutely none. I've seen one or two hornets out in the garden (though really very few at all), but numbers would look to be very much lower this year than normal.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Come to think of it, I've also seen very few hornets (of the European variety).

And yet I've seen more than ever before around here, they were taking great interest in my wet stored supers when I started drawing them out

 

[gwt_uk]

Lots here in the Lothians - found a nest in a wall this afternoon.

 

[WoodenBeam]

Have seen quite a few in this neck of the woods. Savaging scrapings and also taking fibres from boxes…….I get the feeling it’s going to be a waspy end to the season