Lesley Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 .....related to our bee problems so I thought I'd pop it in here. We went out at 8am to sort out the hive. The wasps have driven out the few remaining bees so we just had to check for waxmoth, chuck out wasps and close the hive down. It is ready in case we are offered bees or there is a late swarm. We took the opportunity to rescue as many greengages as we could - from the wasps - wearing beesuits and gloves We have a large bucketful which is about two thirds of the crop - and the wasps are already moving on to the Victoria plum which is laden.....the fruit isn't even ripe yet so we'll have to do battle with the wasps for any of that crop as well. We've found a second nest in the hedgerow behind one of the compost heaps - it is on the other side of the hedge and that is a public footpath so we'll have to get someone in to deal with it. The one we tried to sort out by the main gate is as busy as ever We have set up two big wasp traps - 5 litre containers with a mixture of juice, beer and vinegar which is supposed to attract wasps but not bees. There is not much interest in them because of all the available fruit Any other ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 yes I know what you mean about collecting fruit as I usually make some chutney from my victoria plum tree (alive with wasps) I usualy wear big red rubber gloves just in case! But I have had the horrible nests in the ground before..in the evening when its quiet a good squirt of powder usually kills them. One year we got one of those spray pressure wasp killers that you shoot at the nest , they are completely useless but we go indoors shut all the windows and then spray at the entrance and the wasps cascade out and go mental! We have done that a couple of times. horrific urgh(the first year we forgot to shut our sons window and could not believe how they just fell out the eaves of our house) like a waterfall of wasps. The powder is usually good if you can identify the hole they are in out of Not sure if its a good or bad year for wasps was hoping they drowned in all this rain! good luck indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beesontoast Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 Here's an easy and cheap way to make a wasp trap - 1. Take a 1 or 2 litre plastic drink bottle and cut off the top an inch or so below the part with sloping sides. 2. Slice a windfall apple, put into bottle. 3. Add ordinary Coke (not diet - even wasps are intelligent enough not to drink aspartame!) to a depth of 2-3 inches 4. Remove the cap and replace the top part of the bottle upside down, forcing it into the lower part so it makes a tigh fit. 5. Place trap anywhere wasps have been seen. I use these around my beehives and they safely catch hundreds of wasps, which would otherwise be attacking my bees. PLEASE don't use toxic sprays - you will kill a lot of other things besides wasps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 8, 2009 Author Share Posted August 8, 2009 I'm trying not to use toxic sprays - but believe me, it's becoming difficult to live with the number of wasps we have We haven't been able to open doors or windows at all today and the outside temp. was 25C I love making the bottle traps - I'll just have to force myself to buy fizzy stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Please send all unwanted fizzy drinks to me! I love em! I've no idea what my insides must look like, and frankly really don't want to.... I've used the wasp-nest-melting spray, but only indoors (in our loft and garage). Like everyone else I'd want to avoid using it outside. They're way easier to deal with if you can find the beginnings of nests earlier in the year, but not easy if you have somewhere with lots of lovely sheltered bits (I live on what can only be described as a windswept clay-y bog). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 The first nest we found id in a hollow trunk of a hawthorn in the hedge - easy to see. The second is massive, judging by the activity, and is situated somewhere in the middle of a clump of bramble which constitutes part of the boundary hedge - the other side is public footpath, very rarely used by walkers. We can't actually see where the entrance is. Two years ago we had numerous nests in the ground- and one in a straw bale which was revealed whern Jake slipped on the edge and s"Ooops, word censored!"ed it open - the wasps really stung my daughter as she has long hair and they were stuck in her hair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdcambs Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 This year we are seeing quite a few European wasps, they often make their nests in hedges and are much more aggressive than our normal wasps; attacks from these visitors can be dangerous as they attack in a swarm and follow. Approach said with extreme caution, in a bee suit, or get a professional in (pest control, not a beekeeper) I know one pest control officer who charged over two grand for killing wasp nests last month... so, yes, it is a very good year for wasps, from their perspective anyway. So far I've lost one hive to wasps and one nuc to robbing bees, which while worse than previous years is not that uncommon (Yes, I have entrances reduced and wasp traps deployed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Dust some of your wasps with talc and you can more easily watch them as they depart to their nests. Might help in locating the nest(s). Last year I found my bees were being harassed by wasps from 3 different directions. Regards, RAB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Hi I think the most problems I have had with wasps are the ground ones, but usualy it has taken a while to work out the hole they come out off. So far we had a relative who run one over with a lawn mower(A&E jobby) In underwear etc etc really ill and in pain! Last year my horse stood on a nest at a gate entrance whilst I was holding him..um not funny! I got stung on the ankles one year boundary fence I got chased back to the house..blooming things so I am afraid I have no wasp sympathy and the killer powder gets put down the hole in the evening when all is quiet. I can understand if people make mistakes and its ie a bumble bee nest. But there is a difference. I hate the blooming things. Am wondering what the hornets are going to be like this year! If I can find the nest entrance we have managed to kill the nest our selves(the only time we found it difficult when it was up high and due to gravity couldnt get the powder in the hole)! indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 Ouch!! - no wonder you don't have any sympathy for wasps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Lesley I am sure they must do something good but I dont know what they are?? I hate seeing them pick of spiders etc from their webs..indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 Wasps are good and have their place in the ecosystem - but I think we have someone elses share Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deb68 Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 hi, We have a serious wasp problem too. We just use jam jars with holes in the lids (big enough to let a wasp in)jam and water. They pile in and cant get out. Our bees have an ongoing battle with the wasps, every time I look they are rolling another wasp out of the hive. They still manage to get in though. Robbing honey and trieng to boot out our bees from their home. .....related to our bee problems so I thought I'd pop it in here. We went out at 8am to sort out the hive. The wasps have driven out the few remaining bees so we just had to check for waxmoth, chuck out wasps and close the hive down. It is ready in case we are offered bees or there is a late swarm. We took the opportunity to rescue as many greengages as we could - from the wasps - wearing beesuits and gloves We have a large bucketful which is about two thirds of the crop - and the wasps are already moving on to the Victoria plum which is laden.....the fruit isn't even ripe yet so we'll have to do battle with the wasps for any of that crop as well. We've found a second nest in the hedgerow behind one of the compost heaps - it is on the other side of the hedge and that is a public footpath so we'll have to get someone in to deal with it. The one we tried to sort out by the main gate is as busy as ever We have set up two big wasp traps - 5 litre containers with a mixture of juice, beer and vinegar which is supposed to attract wasps but not bees. There is not much interest in them because of all the available fruit Any other ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 We have a wasp nest by the patio under a tree, and it would cost £55 for the council to come and spray it, but we bought a spray and did it ourselves. It worked for about a week, but they've started coming back, and I've read that the powder is better to use. When you use a wasp trap *strange question coming up* what do you do with it when its full of dead wasps? Can it go in the bin or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 We have a wasp nest by the patio under a tree, and it would cost £55 for the council to come and spray it, but we bought a spray and did it ourselves. It worked for about a week, but they've started coming back, and I've read that the powder is better to use. When you use a wasp trap *strange question coming up* what do you do with it when its full of dead wasps? Can it go in the bin or what? Hi If you get some wasp powder in the evening at dusk when the nest is quiet if you can see the hole just put a good shake of it around the hole and am sure the powder will work best(better than the foam) always works for us. The only nests I have had to re do are the ones in the eaves of the house. Ground ones are easy to treat. I think Tesco sell powder..have done the jam jar which does collect them up & is very good method. You would probably be best to throw it away if you dont want to empty it out, but it wont kill a nest Good luck indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Newspaper article about **Wasps**. An interesting read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 It is interesting and I knew wasps were good because they eat insects.......but I prefer them in lower numbers than we've had this year I did laugh when I saw Clare's ex doing a dance with ice-cream cornet in hand at the market on Saturday - and again when he s"Ooops, word censored!"ed his ice-cream off the pavement, wipe it, and carried on As there are so many.....I'll just keep on putting out traps with juice, jam and vinegar in.....at least they'll die happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/8213887.stm Oh cant get too sympathetic with the wasp they stung my friends sons lip ....... Told him that some people pay good money to have lips like that... I really want to pick the plums but the wasps are munching away happily on them ..I dont think there will be any left this year.. indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 You need a beesuit Indie - ideal for picking plums in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Lesley you are right perhaps I can get a bee suit to try out on the wasps and then if they definitely cant get me perhaps I would consider the Beehaus then(husband told me I have to retire first to get Bees..the reaction was No you are not getting Bees as Well)! Bees dont bother me in the garden at all, they dont go looking for trouble Bit like the chickens really who listens to OH(not me) horses dog and I would like a , ..lots on the wish list indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
