# Hornets, Wasps and Yellow Jacket



## tedstruk (Jul 18, 2008)

There are alot of all three types hanging around this year...

I stomped a few, but I really don't like them hanging around much, there is a bunch of large black hornets with three stripes on their tail that are very big and kind of agressive to my new young bees. Any ideas on how to get them and not the bees?


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cut up banana peel

mix into clear plastic soda bottle, 2 litre,
cut 1" hole in side of bottle just below tapered neck

is trap for yellow jackets and wax moths


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## Bill W. (Apr 22, 2008)

The black ones are bald-faced hornets. They can be pretty hard on the bees. The good news is that they don't fit through a queen excluder, so if you put one on the bottom board, they can't get into the hive. They'll still fight and kill bees at the entrance, but they won't get inside a weak hive and pull the brood out.


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## SnowyOwl (Aug 16, 2008)

RayMarler said:


> 1/2 cup sugar; 1 cup apple cider vinegar; 1 cup water; 1 cut up banana peel; mix into clear plastic soda bottle, 2 litre--cut 1" hole in side of bottle just below tapered neck.
> is trap for yellow jackets and wax moths


Ray and others: I understand the idea of baiting the yellow jackets and wasps, but have another question. The recipe above was also given on other sites as a bait to use in the middle of Sonny-Mel SHB (small hive beetle) traps, and it works. I accidentally found out its attraction for yellow jackets too--they can be trapped in the same traps if left out (the holes are only 3/16-inch on those traps). I have seen older style glass bottle and globe "wasp traps" where sugar water/bait is placed inside, and the wasps can't escape if they enter. Has anyone used these to know if that same bait will attract bees? I would like to use them near my hives, but don't want to trap bumblebees or honeybees -- is that inevitable with the same bait? (I wouldn't use sugar water--I know that will attract bees. What baits are safe around honeybees?)

Or does anyone have other better suggestions? And is there any bait/trap that would work for the huge European hornets that cannibalize honeybees? Thanks!


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## Ishi (Sep 27, 2005)

*McPhail Trap For Yellow Jacket*

SnowyOwl,

Use one of these types with water and STINKEY cat food about 3 tsp. You will have to change it every day. I set one in front of the hives or beside it in the evening where the sun won’t hit it. During the day I hang it in a tree in the shade about 20 ft. from the hives.

Do a search on the McPhail trap. This is the style of trap that you want. I also found a trap top that goes on a qt. glass jar that has 4 holes in the plastic top that works good but not as good as the McPhail trap



http://cgi.ebay.com/Wasp-Yellow-Jac...=39:1|66:2|65:1|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14




http://napastyle.com/catalog/produc...-_-Non Brand-_-Wasp Trap-_-yellow jacket trap


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

SnowyOwl...
I've not used that bait trap myself, I copied the recipe down from conversations in the BeeSource Chat Room. I've seen it said for use against the afore mentioned pests in beehive yards, so I'm assuming it's ok. I'm also assuming it's ok if it's also used in SHB traps huh?

I have yellow jackets and wasps here, they help keep the ground in front of the hives cleaned up. (The lizards do also!). I've seen the yellow jackets/wasps try to enter my hives, but my girls just tear them apart if they try, as I've been fortunate enough to have strong hives. I tried to kill one as it entered a hive box that I was inspecting one day, but I missed. It went down between 2 frames and the bees just balled it so hard it dissappeared... Good Girls!!!


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## aszalan (Sep 16, 2007)

SnowyOwl said:


> And is there any bait/trap that would work for the huge European hornets that cannibalize honeybees? Thanks!


baits will not usually work for European hornets as the feed almost exclusively on live insects. About the only way to control them is to destroy the nest. also, after a heavy freeze the nest will die out.


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## hilltop hives (Mar 9, 2007)

I use the plastic bottle traps with the bait listed by RayMarler. They work for moths, yellow jackets, european hornets, and SHB. I don't know if the EH are attracted to the bait or the captive meal being offered. Doesn't matter to me as long as they die. Badmitten rackets work well if applied properly. A freind of mine found a EH nest over the weekend and he's sporting a fist the size of George Foreman this morning.


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