Wasps!

My first year with bees. I've just got home from work and been down to have a quick look as I do every day. Saw a wasp enter the hive almost unnoticed, one guard bee had a go but it just flew off a foot or so then came straight back and walked in. I have a trap. Should I put it up a way off from the hive? Watched for anothe five mins or so but didn't see the wasp leave but no others entered either.

Reduce entrance to one bee way. Bees can defend a smaller entrance better. If it's a large colony reduce to a few inches.

snelgrove said:

Reduce entrance to one bee way. Bees can defend a smaller entrance better. If it's a large colony reduce to a few inches.

Click to expand...

Already is the smallest opening

Webby said:

Already is the smallest opening

Click to expand...

Unless the hive is attacked by dozens of wasps I wouldn't worry. Place your traps near the hives. Make sure they are traps that wasps carnt escape from. If the odd one escapes they will bring more back.

snelgrove said:

Unless the hive is attacked by dozens of wasps I wouldn't worry. Place your traps near the hives. Make sure they are traps that wasps carnt escape from. If the odd one escapes they will bring more back.

Click to expand...

I have a trap that has a bottom entrance and they have to fly up inside. The top is clear plastic so they just keep flying up to try to get away. Cider vinegar and a little sugar to bait it?

Webby said:

I have a trap that has a bottom entrance and they have to fly up inside. The top is clear plastic so they just keep flying up to try to get away. Cider vinegar and a little sugar to bait it?

Click to expand...

Strawberry jam and water works

snelgrove said:

Strawberry jam and water works

Click to expand...

That won't attract bees?

Webby said:

I have a trap that has a bottom entrance and they have to fly up inside. The top is clear plastic so they just keep flying up to try to get away. Cider vinegar and a little sugar to bait it?

Click to expand...

4 x Wasp Trap Drinks Bottle Converter Outdoor Garden Picnic Patio Natural Insect

Copy and paste this sentence above into Fleabay.

They are brilliant and very cheap. I have used them for two years now and have prepared them ready for this year. Seen a wasp fly straight into the trap as I was pulling it out of my bag that I had carried to the apiary.
Sugary water, jam, coke and blackcurrant cordial all work well. Just pop a half teaspoon of vinegar in to deter bees.

Webby said:

That won't attract bees?

Click to expand...

Does not attract bees.

snelgrove said:

Does not attract bees.

Click to expand...

Ok thanks.

Karsal said:

4 x Wasp Trap Drinks Bottle Converter Outdoor Garden Picnic Patio Natural Insect

Copy and paste this sentence above into Fleabay.

They are brilliant and very cheap. I have used them for two years now and have prepared them ready for this year. Seen a wasp fly straight into the trap as I was pulling it out of my bag that I had carried to the apiary.
Sugary water, jam, coke and blackcurrant cordial all work well. Just pop a half teaspoon of vinegar in to deter bees.

Click to expand...

Thanks I'll have a look.

or you could buy very expensive traps from a well known contributor to this forum - not sure if they are worth the money though. See Waspbane.

They are....well worth it
You must place them properly though. Check out the beekeeping link on the website

Ice been keeping an eye on them over the weekend and only seen a couple more wasps (one of which I managed to swat ) but haven't seen any more enter the hive.

beebopper said:

or you could buy very expensive traps from a well known contributor to this forum - not sure if they are worth the money though. See Waspbane.

Click to expand...

I regard Waspbane traps as essential gear, like varroa treatments.

The craziness of inviting wasps to visit jam jars with jam and water in, into an apiary, never ceases to amaze me.

I am persuaded by the theory behind the Waspbane trap - of ensuring wasp scouts can't escape back to their colony - and I've witnessed it in practice for at least three years.

We have a real problem at the apiary at Manchester Cathedral, as there are three pubs within a few yards of the cathedral (people thirst after righteousness, you realise). But once I've deployed Waspbane traps, the threat diminishes to virtually nothing.

Which is better: an apiary with lots and lots of wasps in traps, and others exploring the area - or an apiary with few wasps in the traps and few wasps checking out the hives?

P.s. I have no links whatsoever with the company.

Dusty.

Webby said:

That won't attract bees?

Click to expand...

No, but these will attract wasps - to your hives not the trap!!:

Karsal said:

4 x Wasp Trap Drinks Bottle Converter Outdoor Garden Picnic Patio Natural Insect

Copy and paste this sentence above into Fleabay.

They are brilliant and very cheap. I have used them for two years now and have prepared them ready for this year. Seen a wasp fly straight into the trap as I was pulling it out of my bag that I had carried to the apiary.
Sugary water, jam, coke and blackcurrant cordial all work well. Just pop a half teaspoon of vinegar in to deter bees.

Click to expand...

Wasps are attracted to the hives anyway, something to do with there being honey in them.

I haven't put any traps near my bees. Only a couple of homemade ones in the garden at least 30 yards away. Haven't caught a thing in them so I'm guessing I was worrying too much.

Webby said:

I haven't put any traps near my bees. Only a couple of homemade ones in the garden at least 30 yards away. Haven't caught a thing in them so I'm guessing I was worrying too much.

Click to expand...

Suddenly this year imitation wasps nests are appearing in various local selling groups. Waspinator seems to be a common brand although I'm told a balloon coated with papier mashe is effective. Just how true the claims made are I leave you to decide for yourself.
Someone else suggested using many traps set well out from the apiary as a cordon sanitaire.

Hivemaker. said:

Wasps are attracted to the hives anyway, something to do with there being honey in them.

Click to expand...

True but if one wants to protect a hive from wasps it doesn't help to extend the number of 'attractants' in the vicinity of the hive. It's a numbers game. Rather than use the term 'attractants' I prefer to use the term 'plume' i.e. each attractant emits a plume of scent that wasps will follow back to the attractant. The more plumes you have the more wasps will be attracted. The more wasps you attract the greater the pressure on the hive and the greater the risk that the hive will be overwhelmed.

The trick is;

To reduce the number of plumes to the barest minimum. If one uses an excess number of traps then the number of plumes will increase which is highly counterproductive if those traps are low efficiency traps simply because the traps will by design become saturated and the excess wasps they attract will then turn to the hive. High efficiency traps won't make the problem worse but using an excess of high efficiency traps is an unnecessary expense. The maximum ratio of high efficiency traps that are ever needed is one per hive but this is highly unusual as frequently one trap may be sufficient for a whole apiary if the apiary is set up correctly. What is critical is that the high efficiency trap is sited within the same plume as that emanating from the hive so that combined there is still only one plume.

To impede wasp entry into the hive. Wasps will naturally choose the path of least resistance. If the entry into the hive is too easy the scouting wasps will get in, feed and then report back to their nest and you'll get swarm feeding which can rapidly get out of hand. By having the right type of entrance the scouting wasps will be batted back far more effectively and will be encouraged to go into the high efficiency trap. This combined approach creates a 'black hole' in the wasp nest's 'radar' which effectively 'cloaks' the hive and makes it invisible to the wasp nest.

The result is that you kill very few wasps but you should be largely wasp free.