Mrs Baggins
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Wasps.There are ton of wasps noseying 'round our hives at the mo. Our bees seem to be giving them short change but I am really worrying that they will get in there and kill them all.
I went to a friend's last weekend and the wasps got into her (admittedly quite weak) colony. What a sad and horrible sight. Then when we did our inspection today there was a wasp stuck in the queen excluder!
I just hope that this is not a sign that the wasps are winning and that they are going to ravage my poor bees! Mr B says he has sat up there watching them loads and they are doing a grand job killing the wasps and that I shouldn't worry - but I am still fretting about them.
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Lorrainelovesplants
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Hate wasp - hate them.
Weve got loads in the conservatory just now because Im storing the spare supers etc in their until I finish building my store outside.
Evil, nasty things. 
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Jamanda
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Have you got restricted entrances so the bees only have a small space to defend?
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Tavascarow
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| Jamanda wrote: | | Have you got restricted entrances so the bees only have a small space to defend? |
Wise precaution.
Bees will defend their entrance to the death but once inside a wasp will be ignored completely.
They don't tend to take adult bees but will steal larvae & stores.
If you are feeding always do it at dusk & be careful not to spill any syrup around the outside of the hive.
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Lorrainelovesplants
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I use mouseguards.
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Mrs Baggins
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Thx everyone. I have the restricted entrance blocks on. They seem to be picking off the wasps as they try to get in and there is an impressive amount of dead wasps on the ground in front of the hive.
Long may it continue...
I loathe wasps.
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Sally
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They are bothering our hive as well.
I made a wasp trap by cutting the top off a plastic juice bottle, then inverting it and sticking with tape. I then mixed jam, water and a little vodka (bees don't like alcohol apparently & wasps do) and poured it in the bottom.
I set this by the hive - and in one afternoon alone caught around 20 wasps. They drowned in the liquid. This should help the bees.
Wasps generally seem really bad this year.
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Mrs Baggins
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Now Sally... what a good idea - now why haven't I done that?  I helped my friend set hers up and then I sit here fretting about my own bees without thinking to do the same for myself!
What a donkey.
hee haw.
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Ginkotree
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wasps seem to be having a good year here too. we have restricted the entrance and I will make a trap...they seem to be out very early this year...
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