I thought my battle with the hornets was over. Not so !! I've tried yellow jacket traps, poisoned cat food in protective containers, and closing up the one hive that seems to be their target. The yellow jacket traps and cat food worked, but there were too many of them I guess.
After sealing off the one hive again last night, I came back to the hive with a fly swatter and mean look in my eye. I returned three times and must of killed a good 75 hornets. It must of been a funny sight to see...... some ole fool, swatting hornets attacking a bee hive. In the course to doing combat I got stung on the ear by one of the hornets and managed to temporarily lose a hearing aid. After finding the hearing aid, I returned to the battle. Right now, I'm licking my wounds and thinking about tomorrow's skirmish. My wife is getting a big laugh out of my heroics.
I've found that by sealing off the hive, I end up trapping hornets in the hive. I've been able to swat them when they exit, during those periods when I open the hive. I want to take the hive apart and inspect it, but I'm worried that I'll just make things worse. I'm also worried that I may have quite a few hornets trapped in the hive.
My other hives are doing just fine. No hornets at all. My hives are close together so this doesn't make sense, unless this one hive just doesn't protect itself. I will be harvesting honey in the next two weeks, so I'll know what damages have been done then.
If you have any other ideas, I'd be glad to try them. While the fly swatter works, my poor ears can't keep taking this kind of lick en.
Regards,
Tucker
I would add a wire cage in front of the hive entrance - with gaps between the wires that allow the honey bees to pass thru, but not the larger hornet. I get rat traps and cut them in two, obtaining two entrance protectors. Even if a few hornets get thru, you will slow them down and give yourself more "swat" time.
Not sure that a fly swatter is going to kill the hornets. I use a metal saw blade or a wide paint scraper. When you hit the hornet you want to be breaking their exoskeleton.
I am in this same battle here now - with yellow hornets and also with the larger "giant hornet". Each has picked out a hive to terrorize.
Use a robber screen
http://nordykebeefarm.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=17&PN=1
My problem here is yellow jackets. Fortuneately, they seem content with scavenging the dead and dying drones on the ground in front of the hives. Occasionally, they grab a worker if she lands on the ground. I either use a fly swatter or just stomp them! Only had bald-faced hornets one day, and killed all of them!
Is it possible to have a hornet's nest inside of a bee hive?
Regards,
Tucker1
That hive must be a weaker hive than the others and the hornets know this. I believe the hornets only have a couple more weeks until they die off.
No chance there is a hornets hive inside the other beehive.
Quote from: Tucker1 on September 15, 2009, 11:55:47 PMIs it possible to have a hornet's nest inside of a bee hive?
I have had two such occurrences - so have learned to be careful when checking. Both were in hives that I only checked every month or so.
If the hornets are going in your hive they are probally using the smell of the hive to find the entrance as robber bees do. Put a robber screen on and that will confuse them. They can smell the hive through the screen but can't get in. Your bees will have to get used to the new entrance on the other side but they don't use smell to return.