Wasps

[SixFooter]

I've got wasps flying everywhere at the moment and have reduced the entrances to my hives. I've got a few traps out, but not caught many yet.
On one of the hives, there is a line of wasps sitting along the join between 2 supers. I cant see anything leaking, so are they there just because the smell is stronger and is there anything I should do? - duct tape the join maybe?

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Found a couple of wasps hanging around my hives yesterday as well. One colony is quite weak so I reduced its entrance, but the others seem pretty stong and feisty - should I reduce theirs as well? Wasps don't seem to be planning a major offensive at present, more light skirmishes.

 

[Rosti]

SF apologies for asking the obvious, what are you using as trap bait?

Fruit juice, plus a little vinegar, plus a little cat/dog food? Give it a day or so to 'brew' and I've never known wasps to resist it!

 

[Heather]

I tried jam or rotting bacon last year. Jam won hands down.
Smear a little jam under the lid of the trap to entice.

 

[skydragon]

heather - as Rosti suggests, you'll get better results if you have a liquid brew fermenting.

i normally use a slice of apple (or banana, or a grape) a few teaspoons of sugar, some fruit juice and then a load of water. After a few days 'rotting' in the sun it really does bring the wasps in.

Dependant on the type of trap you use, it is often best to have a deep level of liquid in it, as this helps trap/kill the wasps. Using a load of water and fruit juice in the mix helps with this. I top my traps up every week with water, to renew the brew.

HTH

 

[Heather]

Oh, I had jammy water as well- about 100 in each trap- 12 traps out. Just off to sort out a wasp nest near a hive!
But strong colonies I dont reduce the entrances- the bees are too busy to do that and dont want to cause them obstruction either.

 

[Rosti]

Just off to sort out a wasp nest near a hive!

Callous, mean murdering predators, and that just the beeks!

Someone is going to make the predicatable 'live and let live' post soon. In anticipation. I would if they would, but by the time they've proved they won't my girls have lost out, no contest, nuke the jaspers!

 

[SixFooter]

SF apologies for asking the obvious, what are you using as trap bait?

Fruit juice, plus a little vinegar, plus a little cat/dog food? Give it a day or so to 'brew' and I've never known wasps to resist it!

Marmalade + water +sugar + vinegar. I was recommended to feed my chickens with cat food, so perhaps I'll get some and try your recipe

 

[susbees]

Chickens? Cat food? Don't you have plenty bugs over your way?

Wasps . Plenty round here. Some beer bottles up with cheap cider at the minute. No idea where the nests are yet. Still eating our window frames to enlarge their nests....grrr....Had three hornets in the first trap out too.

 

[wilderness]

Fruit juice, plus a little vinegar, plus a little cat/dog food? Give it a day or so to 'brew'

Hmmm, sounds tastier then some of the stuff my OH serves up for tea

 

[SixFooter]

I put a trap on top of the hive and now have caught loads of wasps.
I'll make a trap for each hive.

 

[Silly Bee]

This will sound like a daft question, but don't the bees like the bait?

 

[darrenperrett]

I`ve seen wasps around today for the first time this year.

I set my traps up today with a concoction of pear cider, squashed satsumas, orange juice, strawberry jam and water. They seemed to like it, there were a dozen in there after an hour.

 

[Rosti]

pear cider, squashed satsumas, orange juice, strawberry jam and water.

Mine's a double, easy on the water

 

[darrenperrett]

I`ll bet it tastes nicer than pear cider on it`s own. I`m trying to use it up since i bought some by mistake at Makro.

 

[Queens59]

I think EVERYONE should move to Devon as I haven't seen a wasp yet, and boy I've been looking!

 

[darrenperrett]

I`m in Devon Queens59.

I`ve been looking out for them very carefully because they where a pain in the rear last year. They seem to have turned up all of a sudden.

Darren.

 

[Haughton Honey]

I put a trap on top of the hive and now have caught loads of wasps.
I'll make a trap for each hive.

Can you please move your traps away from your hives.....say, 20-30 metres.....rather than actually attract wasps in to the area of your hives??

Wasps, as a general rule, are usually found within 300-350 metres of their nest.

Pretty please.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Not seen many wasps as of yet.....but if i do use traps then they go in the apairy.....as i believe the smell of nectar wafting from around 30 or 40 hives is a far bigger attraction to the wasps, than a trap 100 yards up in the field and nowhere near the hives,don't seem to observe it drawing the wasps away from the apairy at all.

 

[SixFooter]

Can you please move your traps away from your hives.....say, 20-30 metres.....rather than actually attract wasps in to the area of your hives??

Wasps, as a general rule, are usually found within 300-350 metres of their nest.

Pretty please.

Started like this and didnt catch any wasps. The wasps are actually already on the hive, so it's the hive itself that is attracting them. I've heard before that the traps shouldnt be in the apiary, but my experience doesnt bear this out.
I've got traps scattered about the garden as well as near the hives and those outside of the apiary are nowhere near as successful. ergo it's not the traps that attract the wasps it's the hives.