Wasps nest near to hives. Leave or remove?

Shop deals on ebay
BS Honey Bees
shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum

Help Support Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
H

Helen

House Bee
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
302
Reaction score
5
Location
uk, Suffolk
Hive Type
Other
Number of Hives
Enough
I've got a new wasps nest built underground, about 4m away from my hives. Loads of small wasps flying industrially out and back.

So, what to do with it? Leave it (I don't like taking things out if I don't need to) or would that cause problems later in the year. Or remove it? What would you do?
 
Helen said:
I've got a new wasps nest built underground, about 4m away from my hives. Loads of small wasps flying industrially out and back.

So, what to do with it? Leave it (I don't like taking things out if I don't need to) or would that cause problems later in the year. Or remove it? What would you do?
Click to expand...

If its causing you no problems why not just leave them, they will eat lots of pests around your garden, if they start to bother your hives in the next month or so then you can tackle the problem then?
 
My queen mating nucs are being hammered by wasps.

I killed a few hundred this evening. I hope this is not a sign to come...
 
I agree with Finman a nest so near your hives will eventually cause problems. Either do as Finman suggests, but wear your protection or get a pest control operator to do the job.
 
Woah! Hold your horses! Find out what species first. Not all wasp species are as voracious as vespula vulgaris! Might even be an ancistrocerus species and not a problem at all!
 
I agree take them out you wouldn't leave a dead tree next to your house and hope a storm in the winter dosent fell it on your house would you most likely a time bomb
 
.
Wasp colony is growing bigger. It is dangerous animal when it defends its hive.
Its place is not in the middle of beehives.
 
Finman said:
.
Wasp colony is growing bigger. It is dangerous animal when it defends its hive.
Its place is not in the middle of beehives.
Click to expand...

No more dangerous than a hive of nasty bees. I had a wasp nest 10 yards from my hives last year, they never bothered them.
 
Had one 2 years ago in my small garden, in compost heap but underground, tried everything ( organic ) to remove ... No chance

Hilariously ( in hindsight !! ) one night in darkness went out with a torch, shined the light to see the entrance , saw the guards emerging, rammed a hose in the hole, turned to run and caught my feet in the hose and went crashing into a Goseberry bush !!!

Oouuuchhh !! :D

Anyway.... Point was never so much as a sting all summer with them, appreciate though the problem they ** might ** cause in relation to gaining entry to your hives.

Disagree with Finman, they will defend their nest if you attack it, not if you are bypassing it,. This I know having worked in my Garden near one for a full summer.
 
Last edited:
The common wasp has a large defensive area around their nests, some other species have only a couple of foot defensive area. You need to know what you are dealing with first.
 
Why not give them the benefit of the doubt and see if they DO cause a problem, if they seem to give you bother then last resort take them down... At least you are at the advantage of knowing where their lair is, easy then to dispatch... normally we have no idea where the buggers are coming from or spend forever searching to no avail. As already mentioned, wasps are in some ways just as important as bees in what they do during the Summer months so i'd be inclined to leave them to it.
 
Likewise, fascinating in their own ways , and dont forget Polinators also, as well as being voracious predators... As I said fascinating !!

Would be firmly in the ... Monitor and if being a nuisance then remove.

Also could , if not already done , reduce entrances yo a guardable space
 
Last edited:
They are right next to the path to the hives. The numbers of wasps out and about is growing quite rapidly. They are quite small, and never settle on anything so I cant get a good look at them to see what they are. Iv'e even put a saucer with a drop of syrup near them to see if they'll settle so I can photo them, but the darlins ignore it. The nest is also quite close to my back doors ... about 3 m from both.

Not causing a problem right now, but am concerned they'll grow much bigger quickly.
 
BrianO said:
Had one 2 years ago in my small garden, in compost heap but underground, tried everything ( organic ) to remove ... No chance

Hilariously ( in hindsight !! ) one night in darkness went out with a torch, shined the light to see the entrance , saw the guards emerging, rammed a hose in the hole, turned to run and caught my feet in the hose and went crashing into a Goseberry bush !!!

Oouuuchhh !! :D

Anyway.... Point was never so much as a sting all summer with them, appreciate though the problem they ** might ** cause in relation to gaining entry to your hives.

Disagree with Finman, they will defend their nest if you attack it, not if you are bypassing it,. This I know having worked in my Garden near one for a full summer.
Click to expand...

me too, I used to stand beside the ivy covered post where the nest was & they flew past me in & out, they only defend when provoked.
 
Wait to see if they become a problem for you or the bees before deciding what to do.

Wasps don't stand a chance when a hive is strong and the entrance reducer is in!! (btw I leave mine in all year with no problems).
 
jonnybeegood said:
No more dangerous than a hive of nasty bees. I had a wasp nest 10 yards from my hives last year, they never bothered them.
Click to expand...

Then you keep them.

Wasp I dangerous, because it does not warn when it attacks. Poison of wasp I different than bees'. I get swollen different different way than by bee's stings.

In best year I have calculated 20 wasp nests in my cottage property, in lofts, in store shelters, in ground.
Last year ad tho year ASP are rare. Very few aphids in plants, it means, not much food to wasps.

But they cannot be where ever, where I move. That is my style.
 
Last edited:
Helen said:
I've got a new wasps nest built underground, about 4m away from my hives. Loads of small wasps flying industrially out and back.

So, what to do with it? Leave it (I don't like taking things out if I don't need to) or would that cause problems later in the year. Or remove it? What would you do?
Click to expand...

This question comes up every year, sometimes repeatedly. Wasps nests on my premises are destroyed. Spraying the nest with a bit of diesel oil and allowing it to soak in results in the vapour killing the inmates.
Those who tolerate them are free to do so, just not within the boundary of my bit of England.
 
Finman said:
Then you keep them.

Wasp I dangerous, because it does not warn when it attacks. Poison of wasp I different than bees'. I get swollen different different way than by bee's stings.

In best year I have calculated 20 wasp nests in my cottage property, in lofts, in store shelters, in ground.
Last year ad tho year ASP are rare. Very few aphids in plants, it means, not much food to wasps.

But they cannot be where ever, where I move. That is my style.
Click to expand...

Sorry, didnt get any of that?
 
Gilberdyke John said:
This question comes up every year, sometimes repeatedly. Wasps nests on my premises are destroyed. Spraying the nest with a bit of diesel oil and allowing it to soak in results in the vapour killing the inmates.
Those who tolerate them are free to do so, just not within the boundary of my bit of England.
Click to expand...

Not only are you killing the wasps but any insects that venture into that diesel polluted spot for a year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
October swarm
2
Replies
33
Views
2K
Sutty
S
plain_hunt
Wasp nest
Replies
1
Views
461
hemo
H
The Poot
What would you do with them?
Replies
6
Views
643
pargyle
pargyle
E
Made angry hive Q- now for paper merger
Replies
4
Views
598
Erichalfbee
Erichalfbee
Moobee
Wasps……. and Queen Cells - really??
Replies
3
Views
1K
Erichalfbee
Erichalfbee

Latest posts

Back
Top