Colony failure

[Waldo]

New this year to this disciple --My daughter and I got a package each of Russian Bees--hers did great and mine struggled all summer--last week I checked them out and the queen was active and things were still shaky but stable-anyway I started to get robbing(black jackets) so I put the smallest size entrance reducer in the entrance- when I came home from work I would stand out by the hive and kill the wasps as they tried to enter the hive----this was a waste of time--in a matter of 3-4 days when I opened the hive all that was in there were about four hundred bees and no queen--as we are at the end of the year I took what honey was there and put the frames back in the hive--today there had to be 100 of those wasps inside cleaning out what is left of the honey--so what should I do next year?  they had sugar water all summer--comments please-- perhaps they swarmed and left the hive.

[BeeMaster2]

You are not alone. Kathyp has had the same problem, lost all of her hives last year. Get some wasp traps and set several of them out to get rid of them. Act quickly to save your other hive. Keep an eye out where they are going and kill them in their nest at night.
Jim

[Steel Tiger]

 Traps are your best bet. I've heard that some wasps are territorial. Hanging a fake nest around may keep them away.
Right now, my biggest problem is... dragonflies. They just swoop down and grab bees out the the air.

[rwlaw]

They probably absconded, leave that box where it is there will probably be a certain number of em will try to overwinter it. Then a nice cold day, bam! Throw em into a snow bank.

[sc-bee]

You say black jackets, hornets maybe..... are they meat eaters also like yellow jackets. I think you will find the answer to be yes. Maybe since they have found the honey an easy source they may be reluctant to take any meat Give it a try.... get a little tuna in a can and check it out to see if they will take the meat. And if they do BINGO..... mix a little fripronil (frontline etc) in the tuna and they will take it back to their nest. It will eventually get the whole colony. I have not had to deal with them as hive robbers but have as a nuisance.

As far as your left over honey, you just left it for the wasp to get? Did not want to combine with the other hive? Using it to distract the wasp maybe? Are you sure you were quenright a week ago?

[sc-bee]

If you are bored:

http://www.pestboard.ca.gov/howdoi/research/2009_yellowjacket.pdf

http://www.issg.org/database/species/reference_files/vesvul/vesvul_man.pdf

[Waldo]

thanks for the input so far--(frontline?)

[sc-bee]

thanks for the input so far--(frontline?)

Flea medicine for dogs and cats..... Frontline is a brand name readily available. I belive it can now be found in Wally World. If not Tractor Supply etc. Look for liquid flea killer with fripronil (sp).

[Kathyp]

the YJs go for protein early in the year and sweet, late.  with them, the best thing is to get traps out early and use the bait for the queens.  if you can catch them, you don't have so many nests around.  by late summer or early fall, the traps don't work as well especially after they get into the hives.  they will kill the queen and then they don't care much about the rest of the bees.  they just take what they want.

they are not so bad this year + i put Apiguard in and it seems to be discouraging the YJs from the hives. 

traps and nest hunting.  that's all i can recommend.  in a bad year, it's a losing battle around here.

[sc-bee]

Can't imagine them being that bad.... glad it is one problem I don't have. Around here wasp nest and yellow jacket grubs become fish bait  :-D

[Diogenes]

Here on the north coast (NE ohio) I set my yellow jacket traps out about the 14th of May. You only catch queens, yet each queen you capture and kill is one nest gone. And I got lots of them this year....

I've had no yellow jacket problems this year. Last year I was lazy and they wiped-out several nucs with their predation. I vowed never again.....


8-)