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
