Wasps on corner of feeder robbing feed
I am not at all proud of this picture. It really shows how things can get out of hand. As if the bees don’t have enough to put up with the bad weather without wasps stealing what little they have left. This is the edge of a wooden feeder with a bad seal. Much as we like to use natural materials there is something to be said about using plastic, as feeders anyway.
Brood frame of nucleus hive robbed out by wasps
When wasps make it into a nucleus hive devastation like this can happen. Killing the whole lot off.
We have been plagued with wasps for the last month and no matter how many we catch there are more to follow on. At first we used simple open traps with fruit juice, soft drinks or leftover jam as bait. The stripey monsters have learned how to get out once they get what they want. And there are just too many hiding places around here for us to find the nest.
Wasp Trap
We make it a little more difficult for wasps to make their way out now by putting narrow entrances in confusing places. Hopefully this will work until these wasps die off for another season.
Hey ya, i had fierce trouble with wasps last year as well!
I had just bought a new feeder but didnt realise that there was a leek in it. I filed it up with syrup after taken of some honey, and when i came back a few days later, my nuc was surrounded with wasps trying to get in! I managed to trace the leek but they now knew were to come for food. I managed to find one nest and killed it but more kept coming.
I then found a wasp trap on line and thinking i had nothing to lose, i made it. It worked great, i checked it out the next day and there must of been 2 inches of dead wasps in it, very few could get out.
here is a link to a picture i took of the trap. i hope it works.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/313690_275689282444705_683153_n.jpg
not 1 bee was in the bottle (that i could see) and the second and third traps worked just as good. If you want to know how to make it, by all means email me or go to my facebook page and look through the picture albums until you find one titled “wasp trap”
We got a few off the shelf in previous years and they worked very well. The attractant they used was very effective. They were expensive though. We found fruit juices and soft drinks worked just as well this year and the capacity of the 4 litre plastic container better and no problems with bees mistaking their way!!
Thanks a milliion for your comment