Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Boom Buzz on August 19, 2009, 03:27:47 am

Title: Yellow jackets robbing!!??
Post by: Boom Buzz on August 19, 2009, 03:27:47 am

Looking for a little advice or reassurance on a yellow jacket situation.  I have been away for a few weeks and upon returning have been observing the hives.  On one of my hives I noticed the bee activity at the entrance is way down compared to the other two hives.  Then I noticed a bee wrestling a yellow jacket at the entrance.  I then noticed a number of yellow jackets entering the hive without the guard bees hassling them, I assume robbing honey  :-x.   I haven't done a thorough inspection yet, maybe tomorrow.  I did do a brief peek late today and saw a lot more bees than I thought I would find.  The bee population looks relatively healthy.  Also, Lots of honey in the super.  :-D  But also saw at least one yellow jacket in the super.   I believe there is still a bit of a honey flow going because there is plenty of alfalfa and clover blooming and my other two hives are still abuzz with activity.  The yellow jacket hive has substantially less activity and the guard bees don't seem to be doing their job, or maybe there just aren't a lot of them.   I reduced the entrance to give the guard bees some help.  I will do a more thorough inspection in the next couple of days and to better size up the colony and to look for signs of a queen.  Any thoughts or suggestions on things to look for given the yellow jacket situation :??  Anything else to do to help keep the YJs out?

Title: Re: Yellow jackets robbing!!??
Post by: Michael Bush on August 19, 2009, 07:33:19 am

Reduce the entrance down to just big enough for one bee.  This can be done with screen wire to maintain ventilation.

Title: Re: Yellow jackets robbing!!??
Post by: BeeHopper on August 19, 2009, 08:48:58 am

What Mike said and also, Yellow Jackets are carnivorous, they love the uncapped brood.

Title: Re: Yellow jackets robbing!!??
Post by: Boom Buzz on August 19, 2009, 12:32:05 pm

Thanks men!  Good idea on the wire mesh to keep the ventilating going Michael!  BeeHopper, I knew they are omnivorous, but I hadn't thought about them eating brood.  I'll bet they love it. :-x  I think I will hang a yellow jacket trap nearby as well to see if I can reduce the YJ population a little.

I appreciate the comments!

John

Title: Re: Yellow jackets robbing!!??
Post by: Wynoochee_newbee_guy on August 19, 2009, 09:03:19 pm

buy the traps it will help

Title: Re: Yellow jackets robbing!!??
Post by: gardeningfireman on August 19, 2009, 10:57:52 pm

I have yellow jackets pestering my hives, too. They aren't trying to get in, though. They are hanging around in front of the hives, and whenever a honeybee lands on the ground, they attack it. I have actually gotten to where I take a fly swatter to the hives with me to kill the YJ's.

Title: Re: Yellow jackets robbing!!??
Post by: annette on August 20, 2009, 12:34:35 am

I had a post here last month on the yellowjackets harrassing my hives. They were getting so agressive at one point that they were actually going onto the landing board and pushing the bees onto the ground and attacking them. First time I have ever seen this behavior.

Well I bought a few good traps and it really helped a lot.  They are still around taking advantage when a bee falls to the ground, but nothing like before.