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Thread: Wasp season 2017

  1. #11

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    A few nosing around my nuc this morning. Bees seem to be keeping them out successfully - saw one ball one away from the entrance but they both rolled under the nuc so didn't see what happened next!

    Is there an accepted wisdom on who wins in a one bee vs one wasp contest?

  2. #12

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    Had to "deal with" a hornet nest just across the garden from my hives - couldn't risk it becoming a big problem. Really sad to do it as I think they're impressive beasties.

  3. #13
    Senior Member Mellifera Crofter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Poot View Post
    Had to "deal with" a hornet nest just across the garden from my hives - couldn't risk it becoming a big problem. Really sad to do it as I think they're impressive beasties.
    I think this must be The Year of the Wasp. I have to keep turfing them out of the house - my house, not so much the bees' hives. Well, they try to dive in there as well, but I think the bees keep them out.
    Kitta

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  4. #14
    Senior Member fatshark's Avatar
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    Weird ... I've barely seen any this year. They're usually all over my stacks of supers and brood trying to get in by this time of year.

  5. #15
    Senior Member Mellifera Crofter's Avatar
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    I was wrong about my bees fending off the wasps. I've just returned from an out-apiary where I can't keep such a close eye on the colonies' well-being and found a small nucleus colony completely devastated by the wasps. I think about ten bees survived the attack.

    It's upsetting and it's my fault. I upgraded their hive from a home-made plywood nucleus to an expensive Thornes Everynuc 2, and I forgot to reduce the entrance with foam. Lovely nucleus, but that entrance is one of its shortcomings.

    I think all your wasps, Fatshark, must have migrated north to Aberdeenshire. I've just had a look under the microscope at one of the wasps that died with the bees - ferocious fangs they have on their mandibles! Poor bees ...

    Kitta

  6. #16
    Senior Member fatshark's Avatar
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    I don't think our wasps have moved North.
    I think they've all drowned here.

    The entrance to the Everynuc is bigger than the entrance to most of my full colonies by area. Daft. I usually use an L-shaped piece of spare Varroa mesh pinned in place to reduce it to 2cm wide.

  7. #17
    Senior Member Mellifera Crofter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fatshark View Post
    ... The entrance to the Everynuc is bigger than the entrance to most of my full colonies by area. Daft. I usually use an L-shaped piece of spare Varroa mesh pinned in place to reduce it to 2cm wide.
    Oh, yes - I now remember your post on your website. I've immediately reduced the other colonies' entrances with foam, but it's such an ugly solution for a neat-looking hive. The box is moulded as though it's meant to take a solid entrance block. I'll either follow your example, or perhaps make a wooden entrance block.

    Kitta

  8. #18
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    I have three thornes poly nat nucs which have too much space either side and an overly wide entrance, this has been fixed by glueing a sheet of 10mm correx either side and cutting a narrow entrance for the entrance side.
    I'm now erring towards the maisemore polynuc as being the best offering I've come across simply because it's good to go out of the box, I had ten delivered this morning and already three are occupied with bees.
    Last edited by mbc; 18-08-2017 at 09:57 PM.

  9. #19
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    My home apiary is buzzing with wasps and I had to move a small nuc to the office for safety as wasps had started to go in and out freely. Colonies at home are keeping the wasps at bay for the moment. small nucs have small entrances.
    My main out apiary is only 500 metres away and wasps are not nearly so plentiful.

    mbc, my Thornes poly nuc too has wrong spaces inside (!) and a slot entrance - a bit of gaffa tape part-way across the entrance does the trick although it is not elegant! I have not used the Maisies polynucs. I was told that there is no space above the top bars so bees get crushed - is this the case?

  10. #20
    Senior Member Mellifera Crofter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Adam View Post
    ... I have not used the Maisies polynucs. I was told that there is no space above the top bars so bees get crushed - is this the case?
    Yes, they do get crushed - also with the Paynes poly nucs. I've sliced off the lug rises in the Maisiemore poly nucs which helps a bit, but crushing bees is still a problem - particularly when adding a feeder. I now prefer Everynuc (not the same as Thornes poly nuc). The inside space for Everynuc is just slightly too narrow for six frames - but great for five frames and a dummy.

    Kitta

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