View Full Version : Wasp and Yellow Jackets in Hive?
swampswimmingshrek
10-21-2009, 10:29 AM
Guys what is the problem with my hive. I took off the jar of my feeder this morning to refill it and there were wasp and Yellow Jackets under there getting a free meal. The only way they can get to it is through the 3/4" hole in the front of the hive then go down to the bottom board and eat. Aren't my bees suppose to keep them out? My bees and the hive seem to be fine but this seems strange.
Kruger
10-21-2009, 11:03 AM
I killed a YJ yesterday and today whilst removing my feeder to refill it a YJ started creeping towards it and then about 10 bees jumped on top of it and pulled it into the hive....hope they took care of it!
SSmithers
10-21-2009, 11:10 AM
I set out wasp traps to help them out. A 2 liter soda bottle with a small door cut into the middle of one side, put 1" of sugar water with a little honey. They go in , cant find hole to get out, drown. Ha, ha, ha. I only got some robber bees trapped with many , many YJ. My friend did this too, her bees were stressed from the constant fighting.
swampswimmingshrek
10-21-2009, 11:17 AM
I set out wasp traps to help them out. A 2 liter soda bottle with a small door cut into the middle of one side, put 1" of sugar water with a little honey. They go in , cant find hole to get out, drown. Ha, ha, ha. I only got some robber bees trapped with many , many YJ. My friend did this too, her bees were stressed from the constant fighting.
Eww I like that idea.
why doesn't it fill up with bees also?
kevinva
10-21-2009, 01:48 PM
Another trick, don't use honey, use a strip of bacon hanging in the middle. Yellow jackets like protein and the bees leave it alone.
In the throat of the bottle, just use a toothpick through the bacon to hold in place.
Another more expensive trap is the WHY trap sold at Lowes and Home Depot. I bought some this year and they are really good. Caught about 50 a week for the past 3 - 4 weeks in each trap.
devdog108
10-21-2009, 03:09 PM
I used a hotdog in mine, BUT, I had YJ's waltzing in and out of the hive UNTIL i reduced the entrance. Not one made it in after that!! There were so many that i purposly made them mad so that they would defend a little better....
Let_it _Bee
10-21-2009, 04:53 PM
Aren't my bees suppose to keep them out? My bees and the hive seem to be fine but this seems strange.
Those Yellow Jackets can sneak through a really small space, sometimes like the one between your inner cover and outer cover. Around here The yellow jackets also seem to operate more easily than Honey Bees in the colder temps. I have been watching them sneak in through the reducers more often when it's colder. In my case I am thinking that when it is cold, the bees are in there in a cluster and the yellow jackets sneak in and steal from the edge of the frames or maybe pick stuff up on the hive floor(SBB). When it warms up and the bees are active, the Yellow Jackets stay away.
naturebee
10-21-2009, 07:10 PM
Guys what is the problem with my hive. I took off the jar of my feeder this morning to refill it and there were wasp and Yellow Jackets under there getting a free meal. The only way they can get to it is through the 3/4" hole in the front of the hive then go down to the bottom board and eat. Aren't my bees suppose to keep them out? My bees and the hive seem to be fine but this seems strange.
Do you have the entire bottom entrance blocked off?
If not, Entrance feeders are known to be more prone to robbing, because robbers can more easily circumvent the bees defenses and slip past the bottom entrance to the syrup.
Robbing can be a sign of a failing colony, but I'm betting in this case that it is simply the problem one faces when using entrance feeders instead of top feeders.
Best wishes,
Joe
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles/