European Yellow Wasps attacking hive

Dimmsdale · September 14, 2011, 02:16:04 PM

Have any of you ever noticed this? I have been seeing these yellow devils stalking my landing boards and plucking off unsuspecting bees one after another. I have always cast a suspicious eye at these large yellow wasps with their loud buzzing and attraction to light at night. Never been stung by one, but they seem to be plenty aggressive. They are always buzzing right up to my face or giving me a close fly by. I'm getting pretty close to waging an all out war on them. I'm guessing they have about the same foraging area as a honey bee, so their nest is probably within a mile or 2 of my bee yard. I was thinking about putting up a bug zapper to thin their numbers in the evening. I know that I won't be able to totally stop this problem and that it is just a "Survival of the fittest" type thing, but when something kills my bees right in front of me, it tends to get my gears turning...

Anyone else have a bout with these raiders?

Kathyp · September 14, 2011, 02:30:56 PM

yup. less those than the yellowjackets, but they are a problem. make sure that your entrances are reduced so that the space the bees need to protect is limited. those buggers can get in and do some real damage.

rbinhood · September 14, 2011, 03:07:09 PM

You can catch these buggars in commercial yellowjacket traps, I use the all summer long, granted you will get a few honeybees but more wasp and yellowjackets.

Hemlock · September 14, 2011, 03:50:56 PM

My neighbor just got one of these and after using it i'm going to get one.

hand held bug zapper (not the one i used but there are several on the market) Fun, fun, fun!

It's an electric bug swatter. it takes 2-AA batteries and it hits the bugs with the same "Snap" that the house mounted UV lighted ones do. I've used it on the big European hornets and it brings them down instantly.

Dimmsdale · September 14, 2011, 04:00:51 PM

Does a honeybee have ANY chance of taking one of these things down?? They are HUGE compared to my girls. I was thinking if one went inside they could ball it and kill it. Never thought of them actually going inside and laying waste to dozens of bees. I've got my hives completely open, but I'm getting ready to reduce entrances for fall/winter. I will check out the yellowjacket traps and I'm going to try to find their nest so I can take the fight to them. Anyone ever been stung by one of those monsters?? It looks like it would hurt plenty bad!

Hemlock · September 14, 2011, 04:10:44 PM

Quote from: Dimmsdale on September 14, 2011, 04:00:51 PM
Does a honeybee have ANY chance of taking one of these things down??

The Japanese honey bees (Apis cerana japonica) ball them and bake them. Others do not.

Intheswamp · September 14, 2011, 11:30:38 PM

Quote from: Hemlock on September 14, 2011, 04:10:44 PM
Quote from: Dimmsdale on September 14, 2011, 04:00:51 PM
Does a honeybee have ANY chance of taking one of these things down??

The Japanese honey bees (Apis cerana japonica) ball them and bake them. Others do not.

Yes, the Japanese bees can take down a Japanese hornet...but not 30 of them....warning this video is violent!!!
30 Japanese Giant Hornets kill 30,000 Honey Bees

Dimmsdale · September 15, 2011, 12:12:33 PM

That video makes my blood boil!!!!! RAWR!! :-x

yockey5 · September 15, 2011, 01:14:12 PM

These yellow japanese hornets are in the states?

Scadsobees · September 15, 2011, 01:55:39 PM

No Japanese hornets, although some states may have the European hornets (vespa crabro) which are very large and look somewhat similar.

I think the original poster is referring to European wasps (Vespula germanica) which are just ordinary if not prolific wasps.

I think that yellow jacket traps, baited with raw fish should help thin the population.

Or the first frost will too. Apparently we're on track for that a month early.... :-x

Rick

Intheswamp · September 15, 2011, 11:10:26 PM

Quote from: yockey5 on September 15, 2011, 01:14:12 PM
These yellow japanese hornets are in the states?

I hope not, but give'em time.<sigh>

BlueBee · September 16, 2011, 01:10:51 AM

I'm a bit confused about the wasp mentioned in the OP too :? I have plenty of yellow jackets that try to get into the hives, but they are comparable in size to my bees, if not a shade smaller. I don't have oversized entrances so they don't make it in without deadly combat.

I saw a bumble bee trying to get into one of my double decker nucs the other day. The nuc is packed with bees, so he didn't have a chance! Funny thing is, the bumble bee was loaded up with pollen. You would think if the bumble bee was intent upon robbing the honeybees, they wouldn't go in loaded up with pollen on their feet.

Swamp, don't all the nasty bugs show up in Bama first?

FRAMEshift · September 16, 2011, 02:07:16 AM

Yesterday I saw (for the first time) a bumble bee trying to carry off a honeybee from its hive. It grabbed the bee off the outside of the bottom screen and flew sluggishly for a few feet. It finally landed and flew away without the bee. I guess it was too heavy.

boca · September 16, 2011, 02:48:05 AM

Quote from: BlueBee on September 16, 2011, 01:10:51 AM
I saw a bumble bee trying to get into one of my double decker nucs the other day. The nuc is packed with bees, so he didn't have a chance! Funny thing is, the bumble bee was loaded up with pollen. You would think if the bumble bee was intent upon robbing the honeybees, they wouldn't go in loaded up with pollen on their feet.

This time of the year bumblebee colonies are broken up. Workers and males are died. Mated queens are loading their body with fat and protein, and they are looking for a cosy place to hibernate. She must know how cosy your foam nucs are!
I thought the queens are eating the pollen in autumn right on the flowers. Maybe they collect first on their corbicula and they eat from there.

Quote from: FRAMEshift on September 16, 2011, 02:07:16 AM
Yesterday I saw (for the first time) a bumble bee trying to carry off a honeybee from its hive. It grabbed the bee off the outside of the bottom screen and flew sluggishly for a few feet. It finally landed and flew away without the bee. I guess it was too heavy.

Perhaps the honeybee grabbed the bumblebee's leg?

Intheswamp · September 16, 2011, 09:15:28 AM

Quote from: BlueBee on September 16, 2011, 01:10:51 AM
<snip>

Swamp, don't all the nasty bugs show up in Bama first?

Nah, Florida and Texas have us beat (especially Florida). ;)

Dimmsdale · September 16, 2011, 12:35:21 PM

Here is a wikki link on the little jerk that I am speaking of.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_hornet

I guess it's actually condisered a hornet instead of a wasp. These things are HUGE and are much bigger than yellowjackets. They are attracted to light so I always seem them buzzing around my portch light at night. The thing that concerns me the most is the mention in the wikki link "However they are known to eradicate domestic honeybee hives, resulting in fewer honeybees for open pollination. They also tend to girdle branches which results in dead branches.

Dimmsdale · September 16, 2011, 12:56:36 PM

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Here is a pic of one eating a honey bee no less!!

BeeMaster2 · September 16, 2011, 01:03:23 PM

I found one of them last spring in my pool and I put it in a jar of alcohol. When I put the supers out for the bees to clean, I found 2 that looked like they were drunk. I was able to pick them up with my leatherman pliers and put them in the same jar. As soon as I grabbed them they snapped out of their honey stupor and fought like crazy. They didn't have a chance in the alcohol.
Jim

BlueBee · September 16, 2011, 01:52:45 PM

Thanks for the added info Dimmsdale. I've never seen these things around my parts. I hope I never do!

FRAMEshift · September 16, 2011, 02:50:29 PM

And today I saw a hummingbird flying around two of my hives and sticking its bill in the hive entrance holes. I guess the floral scents wafting off the comb were very attractive. Everybody wants a little bit of what the bees have.