Bees are tough to raise

[Baymule]

I have yellow jackets here, I really like the meat grease trap @soarwitheagles . I want to get bees someday, but I need have too much on my plate right now and need to get some other things done. It sure wouldn't hurt to go ahead and knock out some yellow jackets. They took over the hummingbird feeder and chased off the hummingbirds.

 

[Baymule]

Fipronil (Frontline flea treatment for dogs) mixed into hamburger with some Rescue yellow jacket attractant is supposed to kill them. They say that 80% of the Yellowjacket nests within 100 yards will be dead within 24 hours. 95% will be gone in 48 hours. Renew the bait every day (Yellowjackets don’t like dried or rotting meat). After 4 days 100% of the Yellowjacket nests within 400 sq. yds will be dead.

I will be calling vector control but also doing this. I already have the attractant and the rest is easy to get.

I wonder if Golden Malarin would work. It's for flies and it knocks them dead, dead, dead. You have to keep it away from other animals.

 

[babsbag]

Yeah, my hummers have been dodging them too, and so do my dogs. I bought the Fipronil and cat food today to make the bait but I just ran out of daylight. I read a study that said that the Friskies White Fish cat food was the best bait so that is what I bought.

I spent three hours this morning cleaning up bee equipment. I got most of the frames in the freezer and the bees on the frames were definitely not displaced bees from a hive, they were taking honey like crazy. I still have some frames in crates that I need to freeze so tomorrow I will suite up and go at it again. What a major pain.

The three hives that are left and struggling. One hive had a nail sticking out of the corner of the box and the lid wasn't going down all the way and I didn't catch it until today. I had a robbing screen on it and the screen was packed with dead bees so bees and yellow jackets were getting in. Not sure if they were the house bees or the robbing bees but there was carnage, either way it is sad, I hate to see any honeybees parish. The other two hives were busy defending their spaces I am hoping that they can make it through this. Once things settle back down I will look for a queen and maybe combine these two hives.

In the past I have not been the most attentive bee keeper and this year I decided to do it right and pay attention. I caught three swarms so had 5 hives and was visiting them fairly regularly and observing their behavior daily. I was really happy with them, I knew I wouldn't get much honey but I had every reason to believe that they would make it through the winter.

 

[Baymule]

I have certainly learned a LOT from this thread. I am so sorry that you have had this happen.

 

[babsbag]

Yes, experience can be the best teacher, but not always the cheapest or the most enjoyable. Tomorrow I am going to put Vicks Vapor rub on the front of the hives too, hoping that will throw off the marauders.

 

[Mike CHS]

This discussion has been educational. Like some others my plate is already full enough that I lost any desire to try bee keeping that I may have had after reading everything.

All of the problems this year has to be super frustrating.

 

[NH homesteader]

Thanks for sharing this @babsbag . I don't know much about bees but will hopefully be getting some in the spring. Fortunately my husband had them before we got together so he knows the drill. But I find it hard to share losses like this, so I appreciate you helping educate us despite how hard it can be!

And I'm terribly sorry, it's a huge financial loss as well as sad to lose something under your care. Not the same as losing a goat or pet per se, but still hurts.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Let us know how the bait goes for the yellow jackets. Last year, I couldn't even hang my laundry without getting run off by them.

I haven't done a thorough hive check this fall, but my hives look healthy and strong, so I'm sure they have brood in there. I put the hives back to normal after mite treatment, and all looks good. I'm trying to not get stung right now since my last sting reaction was so bad. Inspecting a hive in a dearth is a good way to get stung. I'm hoping that if I can have some time between stings, that maybe I won't have another issue. I won't know for sure if I'm allergic or not until I get stung again. I sure do miss getting in there and inspecting frames though.

 

[babsbag]

I bought the full suit and other than getting stung when I was stupidly working at night I have been safe. I am not allergic but still not fun. I used to get them under the jacket all of the time and finally just said "enough". Hotter than heck in that suit but I am much more relaxed. I am thinking of making pockets inside that hold ice packs.

@Happy Chooks What do you do to the hives when you treat for mites.? I was going to do the OA dribble this week but can't open the hives so if the robbers don't kill them the mites will.

 

[babsbag]

All of the problems this year has to be super frustrating.

And unfortunately it is not just this year. I keep the bees primarily for the orchard and garden but it sure would be nice getting through at least one winter.