Hornets catching bees

[possum51]

I noticed yesterday that black hornets and European hornets are working around my hives and catching bees. Do any of you have a remedy to help control these?:s

[BEES4U]

you might consider a yellow jacket plastic trap with the lure included.
They work!
Or, you can make one out of a plastic drink container.
If you do a search within this forum you should see some postings.
Good luck.
Ernie
Ernie

[Truchaos]

There is a wasp trap which is made from a glass bottle with an open bottom. If you can find them, pour a little apple juice in it and wait a couple days. Once the juice starts to ferment the bottle will be filled with dead yellow jackets in a single day.

Be careful, I've never used this around honey bees so, they may be trapped as well.

The trap I've used is a table top model but there is a link to a hanging trap for about $13. Once it's full, empty it, rinse and start over.

https://shop.theanimalrescuesite.com/store/item.do?itemId=33162&siteId=221

[Ishi]

Do a search for McPhail trap. Put in about 1/2 inch water and a golf ball size piece if canned cat food. Set it in the shade of the hives about 1 hr. before dark 1 to 2 inches off the ground. The next day set on a hive so the sun will bake the YJ or hornets. Change the cat food every other day.

[possum51]

A friend of mine let me use a commercial insect whacker to try and thin out the European hornets that are catching my bees. I plugged it in to an outlet, pull out the tray that catches dead insects, placed a small can of cat food in the tray. I emptied out probably 30 or so european hornets that we electrocuted during the night. I will continue this every night until I quit finding dead hornets in the tray. I'm reducing the number of hornets at least. This will give my bees a lot better odds.

[possum51]

I did an actual count of hornet bodies yesterday afternoon and I had electrocuted 85 european hornets. I counted this morning and I had 24 more. This should help my bee population. I dont know how many bees one hornet would catch a day but I'm sure they caught over one a piece. The bug whacker baited with cat food works!

[BigDru]

The glass hornet, jellow jacket trap works best for me. Been dumping 10-12/day out of it for almost a week. Told the wife to order me another one to see how many I can get. Its become a game almost to see how many I can get in a trap at a time.

I guess I need something for cheap entertainment.

[possum51]

I have electrocuted 183 big yellow european hornets with the bug whacker at night so far. I will continue using it until no hornets are found in the trap. I am pleased with the results.:):)

[Robert Brenchley]

Are they taking active bees, in flight or from the hive entrance, or are they taking crawlers? I've watched our social wasps (equivalent to your yellowjackets) taking crawlers manyt times, but I've never seen healthy bees attacked. I keep them out with permanently rediuced entrances which make hives easy to defend. Large hornets can be a different matter, of course! Is your 'European hornet' the same as our hornet, Vespa crabro?

[olympic]

Here we go- something completely new - spread rodent glue on a board and place baits (meat early in the season and jam at the end of the season) in the center of the board.
Good luck!
Oly

[possum51]

Robert, the hornets fly around the hive and look for single bees that are easy to catch. The bees will be on the bottom board or front of the hive. These hornets are yellow in color with dark bands around their tail. They look like our yellow jackets only much larger. I think they are also called German wasp. They are around 2 inches long. The insect electrocuter has taken it's toll on them lately. I was worried about my bees this late in the year. I saw the hornets capture several right off the brood box and bottom board. One of my hives is from a late swarm and needs all the bees it can get to gather nectar for winter.

[Dragonfly130]

Possum,
I've had trouble with giant hornets in the past myself.They will kill off smaller weaker colonies,at least that's what they did for me. I saw the same thing you are flying in catching bee's mid flight and grabbing them off the outside of the colony.Watch for them entering colonies.If they start entering a colony it may be doomed as they'll come back with reinforcement's.Strong colonies keep them out though.If they do decide to attack a colony enmasse there's not much you can do but clean up the aftermath.They bite the heads off the honey bee's to dispatch them and I believe their goal is to get to the larvae even though I've seen them catching bee's themselves and carrying them off.

I think your right on with the bug zapper as they seem to be night hunters as well as daytime.That's what I was going to try this year but so far they haven't shown up as they have in past years.I saw the first one the other day.

There is a bright side to them and that is they control the other bee's in the area wasp's, bald faced hornets and yellow jackets.I've never had problems with any other bee's when the giant hornets are around in numbers as they are hunters.

This year they are not around much and now I'm dealing with yellow jackets trying to run in and rob when a colony is open.

When talking to other's about the giant hornet's I've been looked at like I'm crazy so it's good to hear of someone else who's dealt with them.Not that I'm wishing them on you just feels better to not be alone.I'm also glad to hear the zapper get's them so if they show up for me again I know what I'm going to do.

Keep us informed of how it turns out for you.

[possum51]

Dragonfly, don't put the bug zapper too close to your hives. The light will also attract your bees if they can see it from the hive. I now have electrocuted a little over 200 of these giants without killing a single honey bee. I know my hives will be better for my effort.

[Dubhe]

This will make varroa look like kid's stuff.....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/6049302/Tourists-warned-as-Asian-hornets-terrorise-French.html