tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post8064112235215719290..comments2024-03-28T19:35:24.365-07:00Comments on Rural Revolution: Fight to the deathPatrice Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012022335047974670noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-38808076186891161492016-08-12T19:35:26.293-07:002016-08-12T19:35:26.293-07:00I agree with both of you !I agree with both of you !Permaculture Frenchtown, MIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00509396650700050665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-79707000053725983052016-08-12T15:31:56.420-07:002016-08-12T15:31:56.420-07:00On the wasp/yellow jackets, you must start early i...On the wasp/yellow jackets, you must start early in the spring about April/May with your traps to catch the offenders. One can use the disposable traps, or the traps shown in the photo with Don. <br />If you wish to use the old fashion way. A old dish pan with soapy water use vegetable oil to coat the nasty bees when they fall into it. You will set this in an area where it will not be disturbed by cats/dogs. The next step is to place a piece of raw meat on a string where it will hang just above the treated water line of your bucket. <br />The vicious bees will fight knock each other off or gorge themselves to the point they can not fly and drown in the soapy/oil mixture. In all the years this has been used never have we seen a honey bee/bumble bee in the container. <br />You will need to clean the container every few days and refresh the meat for your wasp/yellow jacket infestation. You will want beef that has a lot of fat due to the smell or strips of fatty bacon works the best.A Collectorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04280196199301393336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-74834784252885374132016-08-10T17:20:50.231-07:002016-08-10T17:20:50.231-07:00Love your blog. Short and not so sweet, close the ...Love your blog. Short and not so sweet, close the remaining hive off completely, (assumeing you have screened bottom boards)move it as far as you can from its current location, (100 ft or miles) for 2 days. Sounds like a long time but if you fill the feeder and have plenty of ventelation they'll be fine. When opening the hive back up leave only 1 beespace entrance, just one. Hive is weekend and stressed, give them time to recoup. one beespace only to defend will help alot. Never leave entrances fully open unless the necture flow is on strong, they dont need it otherwise. Check for queen in a week. Robber screens only work as a preventative, once the wasps in hive leave they know the way back in just like the resident bees. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-41721945056778219822016-08-09T22:30:29.341-07:002016-08-09T22:30:29.341-07:00We've had Yellow jackets so bad we couldn'...We've had Yellow jackets so bad we couldn't step outside with any food or drink; they'd fight you for it. I took great pleasure trapping them then dumping the dead into the chicken pen. After a year of trapping with a dozen traps, there were only a few the next year. We stayed on top of them. The neighbors commented on the effects of the war I was waging an we all laughed but it was the laughter of relief.<br />We moved to Idaho and were plagued by Wasps as well. I treat those with sticky traps. Expensive but effective. I have not trapped honey bees but did get a few bumble bees that I actually got off the trap. I also spray the nests in the early mornings. Found the yellow jackets nest up in the cherry tree and son and I soaked it with spray one evening. We found the bald faced hornets nest as well but the black bear ate it that night (was going to spray it in the very early morning). <br />I'm very sorry that the you are having a problem with yellow jackets destroying your bees. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-12245828356617947532016-08-09T08:06:15.045-07:002016-08-09T08:06:15.045-07:00Hmmm, me too. Thought it was just me so I haven...Hmmm, me too. Thought it was just me so I haven't said anything...chipmunkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01341260129072773457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-90784083277179337262016-08-08T11:56:30.202-07:002016-08-08T11:56:30.202-07:00Typically, new beekeepers lose half their hives wi...Typically, new beekeepers lose half their hives within the first year. I have ten hives but my first year I lost 4 out of 8. The next year I purchased 4 nucs and made a couple splits giving us 10. Don't be discouraged - it's part of being a beekeeperJason Anoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-61891379761622125782016-08-08T07:23:58.006-07:002016-08-08T07:23:58.006-07:00WD-40 is also good for those huge wood-borer bees ...WD-40 is also good for those huge wood-borer bees that like to destroy fence posts, trim and siding. Just spray WD-40 as far down into the hole as you can. It's worked very well for us. Mary Bethnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-13236415058751999422016-08-08T07:20:54.475-07:002016-08-08T07:20:54.475-07:00Oh, how discouraging! So sorry for your loss! I ...Oh, how discouraging! So sorry for your loss! I just took the entrance reducers out of our three hives a few weeks ago. After reading this story, I'm wondering if I should put them back on?<br /><br />Last fall, even though I was careful to protect our beehives from cold by putting on quilts and stacking old hay bales around them, I made the mistake of leaving the entrance reducer open to the largest opening. When I opened up the first hive this spring I found they had had plenty of food but the hive had been destroyed by a mouse that had gotten in and wrecked the brood super. I don't know if mice eat brood but this one had sure destroyed a lot of foundation. I'll be sure to reduce the entrance this fall. <br /><br />Hope your remaining hive makes it, Patrice! <br />God's richest blessings to you and yours,<br /><br />Mary Beth Mary Bethnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-68416476260262712602016-08-07T21:49:22.420-07:002016-08-07T21:49:22.420-07:00http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-li...http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/honeybee-robbing-zbcz1308.aspx<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-82401404216097679042016-08-07T21:47:07.941-07:002016-08-07T21:47:07.941-07:00I'll second putting a wet sheet over the hive....I'll second putting a wet sheet over the hive. That is what my mentor beekeeper has done in the past with helping the honeybees fight off a swarm. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-55618544775978996352016-08-07T10:14:16.995-07:002016-08-07T10:14:16.995-07:00Yellow jackets can be killed / deterred with penet...Yellow jackets can be killed / deterred with penetrating oil - PB Blaster, WD-40, etc.- spray any metal gates with drain hole, metal racks, sheet metal eaves, and the residue will keep them from starting a paper nest there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-7089038714515700792016-08-07T06:15:21.310-07:002016-08-07T06:15:21.310-07:00Oh wow.
If you do find advice that seems to hel...Oh wow. <br /><br />If you do find advice that seems to help please post it. We've a yellow jacket problem here too, and though I was aware that they'd attack honey bees I didn't realize how aggressive they'd get towards the whole hive!Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11924993310937754220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-22145556314059148842016-08-07T05:04:35.419-07:002016-08-07T05:04:35.419-07:00I started keeping bees to get over my fear of bees...I started keeping bees to get over my fear of bees, particularly yellow jackets (from stepping on a nest as a child). Now, I love honey bees and hate those damn yellow jackets even more. I wish I had some advice for you, but I don't. The only thing I've ever done to reduce YJ depredations on a hive is to reduce the size of the hive entrance to the smallest opening, and that was before there were more than a dozen YJ in the hive. I have no clue what to do when there are hundreds - if you find anything out, please post it!Xa Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10542611446828065852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-20293232381851036852016-08-06T21:56:29.157-07:002016-08-06T21:56:29.157-07:00Oh- I would second moving traps away from the hive...Oh- I would second moving traps away from the hives. Lure the bad guys off! Honey bees are vegetarians- meat traps won't attract them. Darkstonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07043449833809962259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-5595630962356231892016-08-06T21:52:13.934-07:002016-08-06T21:52:13.934-07:00Having a bad wasp/ yellow jacket year in my neck o...Having a bad wasp/ yellow jacket year in my neck of the woods. My bees are on 8 frame mediums. Because the stinging insects have been getting worse lately, I never took out my entrance reducers. I have them on the 3" slot. If the hive is weak you can reduce clear down to one bee width. That way they don't have much entrance to defend. From what I've read, robbing screens need to go on before the dearth starts (late July early August when heat and no rain stops the flowering plants.). Make sure all your boxes fit tight with no gaps so nothing can get in. In an emergency, I've seen online you can throw a wet sheet over the hive to stop the robbers (haven't had that work for me personally). I've also seen it recommended to close them up for a day to give them a chance to regroup. Open back up with reduced entrance and robber screens on. At this point, you may want to put a sheet of newspaper between the two hives and try to combine them so they have a bigger defense force (& hopefully a queen). You may need to leave a tiny entrance for the top boxes in case there are survivors of the destroyed hive trying to come home. If you look up Honey Bee Suite on the web, she's a wealth of info & will answer your questions too. She has directions on stopping robbing and how to successfully combine hives. I'm only on my 3rd year & her website is like having a bee class right online. If you have to replace, I'm having good luck with Russian bees. They are hygienic, will put on lots of honey if the climate warrants it, winter well, & are super defensive against other insects. They're pretty grumpy to people too- they HAVE to be smoked & you HAVE to suit up, but they may just be tough enough to make it in the mess we've made of our world. I'm kinda fond of mine!Darkstonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07043449833809962259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-34609485572821591842016-08-06T19:26:28.196-07:002016-08-06T19:26:28.196-07:00Sorry for your loss. I wish you much luck in deali...Sorry for your loss. I wish you much luck in dealing with this.<br />God bless. ♥LindaGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12203719919661519350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-12137888600106374272016-08-06T16:39:06.440-07:002016-08-06T16:39:06.440-07:00I used to keep bees, but never heard of that. Have...I used to keep bees, but never heard of that. Have you tried watching the flights of the yellow jackets to see if you could locate their nests?Gorges Smythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08777621500611603786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-4511007995065271692016-08-06T15:38:55.747-07:002016-08-06T15:38:55.747-07:00Figure out where the wasp's nest is by followi...Figure out where the wasp's nest is by following them. Mark the entrance. Wait until dark when they should all be in there and kill them.Angelanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-52696909325293309582016-08-06T15:25:34.691-07:002016-08-06T15:25:34.691-07:00I have read that if you hang a piece of meat on a ...I have read that if you hang a piece of meat on a wire/string yellow jackets will gorge themselves on it and fall conveniently in a bucket of soapy water that is placed under that meat. I do not know if bees will do the same, hopefully not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-91784378931707647652016-08-06T13:15:58.118-07:002016-08-06T13:15:58.118-07:00I've been thinking that for a while now.I've been thinking that for a while now.Crustyrustyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09478587825608882510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-63739481774123517742016-08-06T12:03:09.434-07:002016-08-06T12:03:09.434-07:00while reading this whole post, all i thought was -...while reading this whole post, all i thought was - "they need to contact PioneerPreppy"....but deb harvey always...and i mean ALWAYS gives my answers first. she's a real gem.<br /><br />and Patrice - PioneerP is the king bee guy - he'll have some suggestions for you.kymberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02607117635648274823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-18124449467305375232016-08-06T10:40:55.984-07:002016-08-06T10:40:55.984-07:00I know this might seem a little off subject but ev...I know this might seem a little off subject but even here in KY it just seems like critter and climate are going haywire. Just makes you wonder if even God's creations are feeling the shortness of time. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-41197808990909396872016-08-06T10:25:58.450-07:002016-08-06T10:25:58.450-07:00The new owners of East Farm Feed & Supply in O...The new owners of East Farm Feed & Supply in Otis Orchards (near Liberty Lake) are beekeepers. They've been pretty knowledgeable when we've had questions. Good luck!Laura Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-20835777573973333002016-08-06T09:40:09.385-07:002016-08-06T09:40:09.385-07:00Remote trapping of yellow jacket is the most effec...Remote trapping of yellow jacket is the most effective. If you find their nests in the ground - pour half a cup of gasoline on them. You can also dip them in gasoline if you find their nests in building eves..or buy some canned wasp killer. Yellow jackets like protein.. they like honey bees and honey bee brood. You can build traps for YJ with meat and fruit baits. mj - OREGONAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5526768924178592295.post-64434285377764151682016-08-06T08:59:05.882-07:002016-08-06T08:59:05.882-07:00Just a thought - I had recently placed some Japane...Just a thought - I had recently placed some Japanese beetle traps to take care of that problem . Advice was to place them somewhat near the garden but NOT right next to it ! You don't want to attract the beetles to the garden while attracting them to the trap. I know you have a wasp problem instead, but same principle might apply ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com