Beekeepers Beware of Wasps!
You’ve probably been annoyed by wasps in the fall while dining outside. Because the nectar has dried up as autumn progresses, wasps need alternative protein and sugar sources to feed their babies. So they come looking around your food and also beehives. Beekeepers need to be vigilant to remove wasp nests so a hive isn’t compromised.
Early in the year, wasps collect meat and carrion (including dead bees) which they chew and then pass on to feed their larvae in the nest. By the late summer/early autumn however, most nectar sources are finished for the season, so the adult wasps have to get their sugar fix elsewhere else and this is when they start attacking beehives (and your outdoor dinner table).
How to protect hives from wasps
Use beehive robbing screens. These screens act as a diversion for wasps and robber bees.
Shrink your hive entrances.
Kill wasps in the spring.
Be vigilant at honey harvest.
