I hadn't been in one of my Nucs for a few days and my husband noticed there were a lot of big ants scurrying about it, so I went in to take a look.

It was doing so well the previous week, I had placed another box of frames on it, well the first box was still pristine, no sign of any comb, honey or pollen. The bottom box had drawn comb and a couple of frames of brood but no bees. When I took the bottom box off, there were hundreds of bee heads sitting on the bottom board, ugh!. I had the entrance reducer on to the smallest one too but I guess they were too weak to keep the hornet or wasp out.

So, anybody have a method for keeping the wasps and hornets out? I do have a couple of screened reducers, the kind where the bees are directed out the top but I could never figure out how to keep them on. I also saw an idea for just a screen that goes across the entrance but is a couple of inches away from it so they entrance is entirely open and all the bees have to fly behind it and up to get out. I will be trying to make that this weekend, I hope.

Meanwhile all my other hives seem to be doing well, I did have another swarm yesterday but it was up in a 40 foot sweetgum, so we just put a bait hive out and have our fingers crossed.

Terri

What about a piece of screen too small for the Hornets. It would trap your drones.

A friend gave me a couple of screened reducers because they couldn't figure out how to get them on. I just used bungee cords and they seem to be working out well. I am thinking of buying some more and putting hook and eyes on them and the brood boxes to keep them in place.

Will probably be doing that this winter when things calm down.. I thought about doing it directly on the equipment in use but if they don't line up right, they are useless, so it needs to be empty equipment which I'll switch out next spring

Guineas killed an entire ground wasp colony in 3 days here a few years ago. Just make sure they can't reach the bee hive entrance

Guinea fowl, no kidding? I know my chickens are terrors on ticks but I haven't seen them going after wasps, that would be nice! They pretty much leave the bees alone, and just eat the black ants that crawl on the hives

Yup i watched 3 at a time on that hole. They took turns for days!