BBKA Forum

Anybody noticed wasps are out in force early this year?


Lost a nuc and a colony at an apiary yesterday. Previously both were doing well but last night both queens were MIA , no brood and down to three frames each.

The nuc was previously strong on 6 frames and the colony on 11 frames plus.

Last year I bought a pack of Waspinator's and put them at either end of the garden. I have only seen one wasp all year which took an instant dislike to me and had a go at my upper arm.

I think a lot depends on where you are geographically. I'm seeing a few wasps about but nothing serious around me.

I have had wasps for about a month and caused defensive robbing attitude. I set up my wasp trap with brown sugar, vinegar, salt and caught about 300 so far.

Here in South Cambs they are becoming an increasing nuisance. We are not even in August yet I think the hornets will be a problem too this year.
My Vita Europe Apishields are doing a great job of decoying them away from the entrance but some wasps were in the hives when I inspected on Saturday. Guards are out in force and I am just thinking of closing down the entrances on those that are still on middle-entrance size.
Robber bees are also around and that's odd with the flow still on.
I have space in my out apiary to move one or two if required but that would be a pain with the supers on.
We have had about 8-10 days of wet weather up until this week and open brood is well down, let's hope they catch up or the flow will be gone.

Steve has a brilliant and very simple way of making slide in tunnel entrances for hives which makes it much easier for the bees to defend against wasp and the like.
Hopefully he will be along and show some pictures.

True Nigel my Tunnel Entrance design is impenetrable by wasps..as soon as one has a go at getting in it shoots out a lot quicker lol..that can not be said for the underfloor entrances i tried but those are another subject..when i get two minutes spare i will take some pictures and post them with measurements..

That sounds very useful Steve. Looking forward to seeing it.

Any practical modern alternative to pointless, ineffectual and barbaric traditional "wasp traps" has to be greatly welcomed.

Wasps are about in reasonable numbers when opening a hive or when there's something left out that's sticky (around the top of a bottle of syrup, for example,) So far, no casualties to report from me.