Wasps in the Honey Bee Yard, can they help protect your bees from Yellow Jackets? Here's my method.

[@FrederickDunn]

Jump to my "ongoing" wasp project here: 07:22 enjoy! How to House your own Paper Wasps: kzbin.info/www/bejne/foe9iJlsaK2gqrs

[@jdgindustries2734]

Personal experience: had tons of paper wasp nests every year at my old house. One spring i decided to eradicate every nest I came across during early spring. That was the first year I had to deal with yellowjackets on my property. Had I known then, I'd never have targeted those wasps.

[@framcesmoore]

wow on the wasp I never knew that about the wasp. I thought all wasp would hurt my bees, Next time I seen paper wasp I wont remove them. I knew the yellow jackets are bad news. This was a great video again Thanks

[@ronaldshank7589]

That comes from Paper Wasps and Yellowjackets having different DNA Codings. Yellowjackets are much more predatory than Paper Wasps. They can both get rid of pests, to be sure. The Paper Wasps, however, see Yellowjackets as a type of pest to be eliminated, if they get too close! I'd choose Paper Wasps over Yellowjackets any day of the week!!!

[@Sqeptick]

That is fascinating, Fred. Please post updates on the wasp experiment.

[@FrederickDunn]

I sure will... I will expand this project in 2019.

[@1d1hamby]

Interesting thoughts about paper wasps. Very interested to see how it turns out.

[@jaksmith6465]

@@FrederickDunn update ?

[@FrederickDunn]

@@jaksmith6465 kzbin.info/www/bejne/foe9iJlsaK2gqrs

[@scottyg4605]

This is fantastic. The first form of Biological pest control for Yellow Jackets.

[@brainzend]

Paper wasps are absolutely Gorgeous. I have pointed paper wasps out to others in my area when they are gathering nectar and mentioned their utility in pushing back the yellowjackets. Your knowledge has infected others beyond your channel to be sure. I have seen the staff where I am stop to enjoy the paper wasps instead of panicking and waving their arms now. Our local paper wasps thank you as do I.

[@FrederickDunn]

Oh! What a great comment! Thank you Aaron! :)

[@ronaldshank7589]

Putting Paper Wasps in amidst your Honeybees? Two words spring to mind: Excellent, and Ingenious! You, sir, are an innovator! Excellent video, and keep up the great work!

[@salvarez283]

I've done the same for years,I've done this with aerial yellowjackets, with a bigger entrance, and enjoy watching them build there globe like nests for over 35 years. Those are beautiful wasps you have,they aren't around here but we have similar ones,typically the yellow and dark colors, some with small blemishes of red, and the European invasive species, they actually make queens at mid season and leave to make a second generations so they make massive size nests next to each other at times, some nests then merge with other nests that build a few inches away, i enjoy your videos.

[@Afro__Joe]

As much as I've disliked wasps until today, I think that is a great idea to hopefully deal with your yellow jacket issues. Thanks for the info and please continue to update with your progress with them, it's pretty fascinating. Hope May 2019 comes with a lot more of these guys and very few yellow jackets harassing your bees!

[@FrederickDunn]

We'll see how it goes and I'll share the results good or bad :)

[@Afro__Joe]

@@FrederickDunn Also, I think these guys aren't paper wasps, but digger wasps. Don't quote me on that or anything, but they're all black while European paper wasps tend to be yellow and black and just as much of an issue for hives (speaking with other keepers, not firsthand) as yellow jackets.

[@FrederickDunn]

@@Afro__Joe Thanks Joseph, I did have an entomologist at a local University make the i.d. on these as the Northern Paper Wasp Polistes fuscatus... thank you for sharing your thoughts, I enjoy input from many sources.

[@Afro__Joe]

@@FrederickDunn Oh neat, I've never heard of those, just the a**hole European ones that I've been plagued with off and on. Thanks for your replies and all your videos, I can't wait to get into beekeeping thanks to you all that post these videos about your hives and such.

[@lynkpaul2171]

The enemy of my enemy is my friend...lol Cool experiment.

[@nancycrayton2738]

Really glad to know about using beneficial wasps to ward off yellow jackets. As far as I know, yellow jackets serve no purpose but do present a real danger. I'd like to learn more about how your experiment goes.

[@elizabethrogers1152]

Can't believe I missed this video 🤦🏻‍♀️.So fascinating. Need to do updates on your paper wasp really find it interesting

[@FrederickDunn]

I've places many nests and it's fun to do... I've posted a couple of videos on that process. Thanks Elizabeth! kzbin.info/www/bejne/foe9iJlsaK2gqrs

[@elizabethrogers1152]

@@FrederickDunn thanks but no thanks I'll leave that for you to do!

[@ronniewatts8131]

You can track yellow jackets with meat in a bowl of water mixed with high-lighter marker fluid... They will come get the meat and fly to their nest and you take a black light at night and you can see the path they took... If the nest is far away you just keep moving the meat every day to to the end of the visable path and when you find the nest pour a lil gas in it at night and bye bye nest... This trick also works to find honeybee hives by just using nectar and the highlighter or glow stick

[@michaelmueller8976]

Seems like a good idea. I saw several yellow jackets approach the nest and they repelled them immediately

[@FrederickDunn]

They sure did, and they don't wait for a tussle.

[@robertmurawsky6404]

.thanks Fred, your a new beekeepers mentor. I never miss one of your episodes. Ontario Canada on the shores of Lake Huron.

[@douglasleigaber9124]

I have been stung by these guys many times and boy do they light you up. I have not found them to be docile at all here in central Florida.

[@FrederickDunn]

Wow, that's interesting. They are very tolerant of people here.

[@donstor1]

The paper wasp here in California have a lot of yellow and orange on them. It looks like you have a different type there. Also, the paper wasp here is very aggressive and will sting you if you get anywhere near them or their nest. That is a fascinating experiment going on, one I would be too scared to try, but it looks like yours is a success and every little bit helps against the dreaded yellow jackets.

[@FrederickDunn]

There are hundreds of wasp subspecies and I agree, they are not all so mellow towards large mammals :)

[@gabe-po9yi]

Companion-insecting, cool. A new place I’d moved into had a paper wasp nest in the fireplace. Because I was so busy with moving in the first few weeks, I didn’t do anything about them because they never once bothered me. I didn’t get buzzed, didn’t get landed on; it was though I wasn’t even there. It was a peaceful coexistence.

[@fuanka1724]

Interesting, and very nice pictures! These paper wasps sure look pretty and smart.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much for taking the time to watch and comment.

[@georgegoertzen4723]

Wow! Who would have thought a wasp could protect bees! Love this!

[@FrederickDunn]

Through winter, I'm actually building wasp boxes and will make a video in the spring showing how I install the paper wasps. Ongoing project, I'll keep you posted!

[@grahamjonathan762]

There i was flicking my remote control to find something worth watching on TV but nothing spiked my intrerest. So i thought i'd have a look on KZbin & lo & behold Fred has uploaded some new content. What a great piece of work too. My favourite channel on KZbin.Great camera work, fantastic narration. Fred, you should have your own TV show. Many thanks as always!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much Graham, that's a truly great compliment!

[@grahamjonathan762]

My pleasure Fred

[@rasonjason4066]

Television? Isn't that filed under the fiction section?

[@fluffydragonslayer3688]

theres a small nest of european paper wasps on the rail right in front of my house. ive never been stung by them and im really fond of them. they let me sit right in front of them and watch em do their thing and i think one even crawled on my finger for a sec. they never seem bothered by me and their nest hasnt gotten too big. i live in a snowy climate so theyre not gonna live past winter anyways but theyre great little dudes. ive called them the clarks

[@RT-qd8yl]

As someone with a phobia of yellowjackets way above and beyond a healthy fear, I just wanna say honey bees are just so cool. Thanks for what you do, little guys.

[@sheiladuncan1027]

we have red wasps here and they will come after you in a heartbeat. Often the first time you know you are in their area is because you get stung so you go hunting for the nest. If you kill one you need to be ready to move because you'll have several more coming. I don't know if the dark ones you have there are just less aggressive or if the red ones are more so.

[@RiskyFeat]

I like seeing those wasps flick off the ants.

[@SomethingAbstract]

11:06 wasp sees it and is like fuck outta here

[@georgegarcia5052]

Thank you for such an excellent suggestion about simply folding the screen to reduce the entrance. It is by far the simplest way to use screens to help reduce robbing and improve ventilations ... no stables, no nails, no additional wooden frames/screens to make.

[@FrederickDunn]

You're welcome George, I definitely don't like nailing, tacking, or stapling temporary screens in place. Unless we're transporting a bee box somewhere else by vehicle. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@tutmondigo]

Maybe set the next ones up with a hive body on its side. screw one side on with an entrance and put a hinge on the other. be less of a drop risk when inspecting. I've had a nest 3 feet above my chair on the patio before and they are such chill babies. Is kinda interesting to sit down and have some of them do orientation flights when they drop down to go hunt. Sit in a chair by them when you take a break in the bee yard and I'm sure they'll stay used to you.

[@FrederickDunn]

I actually have a nest of them inside my observation building and have been observing them at very close quarters all summer, I'll be posting that video soon. Paper wasps of the species shown here, simply ignore people, even when in very close proximity. I am actually working on a design for housing them which I will use/test in the early months of 2019. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@cpalmer0703]

One thing I got to say is thank you for being the beekeeper to right now with the giant hornet beekeepers is also hero's

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Cory.

[@steven2212]

Absolutely amazing. Please, keep it up and let us know how it's going.

[@chrisdowing1775]

Wow, never thought of window screening for that. Thanks!

[@FrederickDunn]

You're welcome :)

[@larrygall5831]

I think that yellow jacket at the end was a queen. I think only queens have the dots on the abdomen, and the rest have only bands. It looks kind of like a European Hornet without the fur and thicker black bands toward the thorax.

[@MatWalter-q3h]

Learned a thing or two here. Thank you. I have all three species and did not differentiate from one wasp to the other but now I see I was way wrong. I will adjust.

[@dangoman01]

I stumbled onto this channel tonight and I have to say you really approach this with a scientific mind and I appreciate that. Really cool channel!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much Daniel and welcome to my channel :)

[@phyreacid]

Congrats on the new hive. I hope they make it through the winter. :D

[@FrederickDunn]

I'm sure they will make it just fine. For some reason, some of my smallest colonies have wintered well in the past, maybe because they eat less? Who knows...

[@julieenslow5915]

I hear small spaces for small hives make it easier to survive. But I am talking to the master here! LOL Forgive me...

[@357lockdown]

Hey Fred. I love your Idea with the Wasps. I have some living in the small shed that I keep my chicken pellets and supplies in, and in the chicken coop. I never bothered them because they never bothered me. I might try what you have done, if for no other reason but to help a fellow Earthling out. They have every right to keep their kind going just like everything else. Good job!

[@FrederickDunn]

That's great and thank you! I the spring, I will demonstrate how to "hive" your paper wasps for apiary protection. We are getting to their productive end now, so I'll have until spring to consider installation and placement. I'm glad you like the idea!

[@larrygall5831]

This is truly fascinating. I couldn't believe the paper wasps were docile when you approached, and especially when you disturbed the hive. I couldn't imagine this with yellow jackets or bald-faced hornets, as I've been stung by both (YJ 3 times and BFH once) ..without ever sighting a hive, and being out in the open.. away from any structures. Just once, when I was 5 or 6,playing outside next to a porch, I guess there was a YJ hive under it (never seen it) and I was 10 feet from the porch calling out to my cousin who was jumping up and down on the porch. I guess his stomping excited an already aggressive hive, and one came out and stung me in the eyeball. It swelled up until I couldn't open it. It was my first sting of any kind and my mother took me to a hospital because of that.. and to make sure I'd get my vision back, which I did. The other 3 wasp stings were for no reason I could see. Yes, I'm truly amazed there is a wasp that is this docile. Give them a chunk of meat for me. lol We need more of them and less YJs.

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Larry, that's an unfortunate and fairly common early experience you had. I will be continuing my evaluation of the paper wasps in the apiary this coming spring. They are definitely of a very different temperament. I'll keep you posted, thanks for watching and commenting.

[@aspecterr]

Paper wasps looks extremely pretty.

[@FrederickDunn]

interesting anyway, they are marvels and alien in appearance for sure.

[@akemim.7854]

Hi Frederick! I'd really like to know more about the bees licking entrance... why do they do that? It's always amazing and very informative to watch your videos, please keep em coming!

[@FrederickDunn]

They often do that in the early morning, and today, several of them were doing it in different colonies. They sanitize all of their interior surfaces in the same way, I think it's really a housekeeping and hygienic practice. Sometimes referred to as washboarding, or deck washing.

[@Dolphineater200]

Bees are the coolest insect

[@johnvanderslice7966]

Good video Mr. Dunn! I've been around paper wasp my whole life. If not disturbed in the spring and summer they are not very aggressive. But when it starts to cool off in the fall, they will light you up.

[@stellaluuk2713]

I have noticed baldfaced hornets are good at reducing yellow jacket numbers, very good garden pest control and only agressive near their nest. Not sure if they would be safe near bees, very driven to eat bugs. They also don't appear to be attracted to your food and drinks so you can eat in peace.

[@FrederickDunn]

Not a fan of bald faced hornets at all.

[@mikeofborg2]

Very interesting. I may try this also. I’ve have been experimenting with predatory ants near my hives to control mites and small hive beetles. I have seen the ants carry off hive beetles and saw one with a mite in its mandibles. I don’t know if they are having an effect but my beetle traps have been empty the past two weeks. My mite count is low, only seen the one the ant had under the hive. The bees chase the ants from the entrance so they mostly grab stuff falling from the screened bottom board. They are the red ants with black abdomens and carpenter ants. The red ants really go for the beetles and other small stuff. The carpenter ants seem more interested in spilled sugar syrup.

[@joannarii7377]

Some ants carry away bee eggs so watch ..we had some move in in a large group and the bees left..😒

[@jdhorton1432]

How ingenious! Thanks for sharing!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you for watching and commenting JD!

[@mycods]

Excellent post. Ironic because I saw a honey bee and paper wasp fighting below one of my hives today and thought it was odd. Probably the paper wasp in the wrong place at the wrong time. It may have been after another smaller insect but got too close. This video is good science all around. Tip about the screen. I buy 1/8" screen (known as #8 hardware cloth) and staple it across the front entrance. I cut slits in the screen so I can lift sections and adjust the allowable entrance to my preference. They still get the ventilation and I can adjust the entrance by bending flaps down or up. Thank you for this post.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Dave, yep, lots of modifications for shielding while allowing ventilation. Thanks for sharing!

[@newtronix]

Really like your paper wasp idea.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks so much!

[@AndyTaylorprinter]

Brilliant well done Fred

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you Andy!

[@christycarpenter1087]

Brilliant!!! Kind of like Lady Bugs vs Aphids

[@FrederickDunn]

Exactly!

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

Another excellent video! Thanks for all the wonderful descriptive explanations! I love your symbiotic wasp defense idea!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much and it's always nice to see your comments!

[@bengillespie4228]

I love the thinking outside of the box I would love to know more if you have already posted more could you send me a link please

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Ben, the only other posts have been regarding how to collect and relocate the paper wasp nests... kzbin.info/www/bejne/foe9iJlsaK2gqrs

[@johnmcneill923]

Very interesting eco experiment. Paul Stamets is working on mushroom extract for varroa mite control. Also fungi inoculated rice for termite control. Both patented.

[@FrederickDunn]

Yes, I'm aware of the mushroom studies, but not the termite branch... lots going on.

[@geoffreywallace132]

Great video Fred. You seem to refer to bees as another creature and not as a wasp. In fact bee's are wasps. They are the only vegetarian wasp on the planet. The fact that they are vegetarian may be why your paper wasps get on so well with the bees. I love your experiment! You might consider placing the paper wasps nest below the bottom board or on top or to one side of the bee hive. That would make a sensational video. Great stuff!

[@dickiedollop]

This is a fascinating video - do we have paper wasps in the U.K. ? I had a wasp nest at the end of my shed last year which I hoped to keep but unfortunately my neighbour had other ideas and destroyed it when I was at work which he denied knowing anything about. Although the British wasps are much maligned they are great to have around the allotment as they predate the many pests that feast on my crops, so I don’t mind them, unfortunately there is a lot of ignorance regarding wasps around where I live and once people’s minds are made up there’s no changing it.

[@chuckcampbell3927]

🛫📖🛬 Mr. Dunn, Today is 7/16/22. Are you still continuing your wasp experiment in your apiary. I am plagued by too many yellow jackets nests that just keep reoccurring. Would you recommend that if I install a box of the paper wasp it might also control the problem on the rest of the property. If it would deter them completely that would be a blessing and I would not have to eradicate them myself! My last unfortunate run-in with the yellow jackets resulted in receiving 55 stings. That was a very traumatic insult to my body, needless to say. GOD bless 📖🛐💤✈️🐆🐆🐆🐆

[@FrederickDunn]

They have to be very local to the wasp issue, they won't protect/defend an entire property. Having them in very close proximity to the bee hives works, if they were 30 feet away, not so much.

[@chuckcampbell3927]

@@FrederickDunn 🛫📖🛬 Many thanks for your reply ; I understand. As you recall I received my swarm hive on May 26th. I put on a medium to accommodate their rapid growth but that too is now full. I am confused about one thing; Before the recent brood increase, all of the Bees that bearded on the outside were normal size bees! ❓ But now, all of the bees are very small and appears to be only about half the size of the regular bees in the swarm hive. It seems like a paradigm shift has occurred and I cannot find anyone to give me a good answer. They are over two weeks old and according to professor Sealy they should be gaining size as they go out in forage. Can you explain this mystery to me Mr Dunn? (Some of these little girls are only a quarter of an inch long) They were able to cripple and expire a carpenter bee that tried to enter along with a few friends. Thank you in advance for any help you can give me and have given me very patiently. GOD bless 📖🛐✈️🐆

[@MrGoosePit]

Very interesting. Hope the paper wasps continue to keep the yellow jackets away. I like how the paper wasp flings an ant a few times, such as at 11:06

[@JayP-kd5rc]

That's an interesting idea. Never heard of it. Thanks for sharing.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks, I don't know of anyone else evaluating this method...

[@jacquelynallen488]

Aspiring Beekeeper. No experience with paper wasps except to say, I’ve never had one attack me, a human. Lol. Also, Dirt Dobbers, seem to display people friendly behaviors.For what it’s worth, I think this is great idea. Seems like you’re on to something! A beekeeping version video of what kind of care is needed and the ratio of wasp to acreage, crowd control, food sources, life span, breeding habits would be a must see. I know it’s early in your experiment. But, that would be so interesting.

[@nonotyet7433]

Could you do a quick video on some of the pros and cons of different styles of hive boxes?

[@FrederickDunn]

That may be something I'd do when fall and winter arrives and I have more time :) Thanks for that suggestion.

[@memyselfandi1512]

Beautiful! I see they ,the paper wasps, also deter ants.

[@michaelobrien4644]

Hi Fred that's very interesting about the paper wasps here in Australia they are the only wasp that i keep away from the house because of previous run ins with them especially when their nest get's bigger .

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Michael, I'm not sure about Australian species, but I had these paper wasps inside my observation hive building and I was in there often and they never responded to me defensively. They had access through an electrical conduit in the soffit. More observations definitely need to be done. I don't think they should be in doorways to homes etc, but they may have a real benefit in the bee yard.

[@smokeydops]

I had mud wasps around my garden once, I was super terrified of them but I swear one time I stepped almost right over their entrance hole and they didn't bother me. They'll check you out, and you can hear the warning buzz.. but it must have taken a lot to really get them to sting. I'd guess they are pretty chill then. The family still ended up killing them since, you know, we have to mow the lawn.

[@FrederickDunn]

With these paper wasps, I can drive my tractor right next to them with no response at all, they are very interesting to say the least.

[@alteregos8949]

smokeydops mud dawbers as they’re commonly referred to are pretty shy and lone soldier type of insect. They’re not aggressive at all and I’ve never had any negative encounter with them other than the nasty black soot stains they leave when building a burrow on a wall and or ceiling around the house. Typically when I see them pop up I’ll get the water hose and douse it and it goes away. Never have had issues with them

[@HandyMan657]

Alright, who else cringed when he opened the wasp box?

[@larsanderson3072]

Me!

[@knarftrakiul3881]

Lol if I'm in my car and I hear anything that sounds like a wasp I pull off the road and look for that sucker lol

[@HPWPAO]

I am so afraid of Wasps. Bees not as much, here in Alabama most bees I've encountered are fairly passive but Wasps are next to Evil.

[@Self-replicating_whatnot]

I was cringing all the way throughout the video. I'm irrationally afraid of all the flying buzzing striped insects. I watch this channel as a kind of therapy.

[@k.o.hakala2112]

@@Self-replicating_whatnot search for the hornet king - that might be a bit hardcore though

[@bbqridge]

Great video and fascinating wasp experiment. I saw a wasp discourage a big ant too.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you

[@gohibniugoh1668]

Awesome. Thank you for the wasp info.

[@gulfchef]

Paper Wasps! Great idea!

[@callumparks8394]

good guy paper wasps

[@donaldduffey2483]

Frederick, (Please excuse my name. Trying to get it changed.) Question: Maybe I missed this detail in the video or in the numerous comments below, but did these wasps voluntarily occupy this box, or did you introduce them to the box by transferring a brooding wasp nest from the garden (or from the wild) into the box?

[@FrederickDunn]

I attached the nest to the inner cover with hot glue when it was just the Queen and some capped brood. Then she continued to fix it to the wood. I'll be repeating this procedure in spring of 2019 and may do a tutorial if people think it would be helpful to see?

[@donaldduffey2483]

Thanks for the quick answer. I think that I'll do something similar next spring. P.S. Finally discovered that to change my KZbin name, I had to change my Google name.

[@FrederickDunn]

Oh, good job Donald!

[@Agnemons]

Donald don't change your name. It means what YOU make it mean and what others think of it is irrelevant

[@MrJackwork]

Fascinating experiment. I lost nine hives to yellow jackets last year, am looking forward to seeing if the paper wasps are effective.

[@FrederickDunn]

thanks :)

[@jeanblythe1595]

We had a small paper wasp nest up in the eve of the house when we moved in, and they ignored us, since we were far enough away from their nest. I didn't realize it until watching this video that we had no yellow jackets on that side of the house or yard at all, except flying by. On another side of the house some yellow jackets tried to build a nest, and that worried us as we had a terrible yellow jacket problem at another house, in the ground by the front door, so we took to using the back door until we destroyed the underground nest at night. Well, that yellow jacket nest was destroyed, and we never know how, but I think after watching this that maybe the paper wasps did it. I can't think of anything else, since it was there one day, very small, and gone the next. :D Yay paper wasps!

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Jean, thanks for sharing that story about your yellow jackets. BUT, I'd just like to share that these paper wasps wouldn't actually "destroy" a yellow jacket nest. If we're talking about a yellow jacket nest in the ground, and you found it gone with some signs of digging around the entry hole, my first guess is that a skunk came and dined on their larvae. Skunks LOVE eating yellow jacket wasps and they walk right up and dig them out at night. As the yellow jackets come out to defend their nest, the skunk chews them right up. It's a video I've tried to get for years. Paper wasps will repel and chase yellow jackets, but won't actually kill and eat them.

[@jeanblythe1595]

Oh wow, that would be an awesome video to get! I hope you do, safely, no tomato juice bath afterwards! This may be what happened, because the nest had been very disturbed, and I only noticed the paper wasps chasing off flying yellow jackets. And the disturbance of the ground did puzzle me. All I knew was that there was no more nest, and yellow jackets got chased by the paper wasps. :D I love how nature works together!

[@Baiswith]

Huh, I never realised 'yellow jackets' are our (the UK's) 'wasps'. Silly season (late summer/autumn) is the worst, but I've been stung enough times out of the blue to dislike them year-round lol! Hope the paper wasps are working out for you and your hives :)

[@Pax_Veritas]

I've been enjoying your videos. It's great to see people maintain and grow the population of honey bees. Those yellowjackets on the other hand ... nosy wee bastards and often vicious Using paper wasps is definitely thinking outside the box. They may not sting as much but on the Schmidt Index, paper wasps are a level above yellowjackets. You could take it to the next level by introducing your paper wasps to colonies of yellowjackets. Apparently paper wasps have a penchant for baby yellowjackets. What else kills yellowjackets but doesn't harass humans or honey bees?

[@JiriUL]

Greetigs from the Czech Republic! I really appreciate your videos - they are very educative and pleasure to watch and also very nicely shot! I have few questions to this topic- 1) How did you "persuade" the paper wasps to start their colony in the prepared hive ? 2) What breed of bees do you have ? Thank you!

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Jiri, I just find a paper wasp nest I want, scrape it off with a paint scraper and hot glue it to the inner cover and put that in an empty bee box. My bees are survivor bees with mixed genetics that are produced in the State of Texas by the BeeWeaver Family. They have a website I invite you to visit and read about their untreated bee philosophy.

[@JiriUL]

Thank you Frederic - that's truly revealing for me with the paper wasps - I could not figure out how can someone sort of "domesticate" wild insect :). Now it's all clear and I truly admire your ingenuity! I will definitely check out the website you are suggesting as it is very interesting. This breed of bees seem very placid. In the Czech Republic we mostly have the very old breed called Carniolan honey bee which came from Slovenian Alps / Macedonia and proved its great qualities over the centuries (it is also very very calm, yet very efficient in collecting of nectar as well as honeydew) and very low swarming tendencies. You probably know this specie (if not you might check it out) . This specie were used in the USA and Australia to replace the suddenly dying out colonies.. (that mystery dying).

[@FrederickDunn]

Yes Jiri, I'm very familiar with the Carniolan bees (Apis mellifera carnica, Pollmann) There are lots of older well established lines, but for me, they have not been very capable when it comes to varroa resistance. Thank you for commenting and sharing your ideas and knowledge.

[@JiriUL]

Hi Frederic, thank you for your replies and comments too! You are right - Carniolan bees are not genetically resistant to the invasive diseases thus they do suffer a lot as we can see here in my country. Thank you again for your time and comments and great work you do! I am subscriber now :)

[@hiddensprings4195]

Thanks for the education

[@NightmareCrab]

very intelligent bees

[@craigshuman5023]

I think I told you about my experience with yellow jackets and how they decimated my population of yellow&brown paperwasps. Living around my home. In my shed I had a population of "redbrown" paper wasps that were able to fight back. (Your paperwasps seem to be yet another variant as yours have blotches on their abdomens that mine don't have.) It was an all out air war and though they were putting up a good fight the redbrowns were slowly losing. In the end I tracked the Yellowjackets to theirnest in one of the weep holes of my brick home and did them in with bengal wasp spray wich I would use at night on the nest guards. When the others woke in the morning they would track through the poisonous area in and out of the nest. This way I was able to get the entire colony without forcing them to move or allowing them to survive the winter in my house wall. Unfortunately my yellow and Browns Didn't return and have been replaced by a smaller variety and my redbrowns are not as big a factor. I suspect that is due to my geckos. As I seldom see Yellowjackets in the area and my wild honeybees that had been seen in my boxwoods for two years have returned so I have hope. So my question is how do you plan to induce your variety of paperwasps to return to the nesting site each year? I've found that they won't reuse an old nest unless you remove it during the winter. You have to be careful about this as often a population of the next generation will overwinter in the small space between their nest and the surface its anchored to by the "holdfast". If you remove such a nest you'll lose the wasps in torpor there. If you have a nest like that I would wait untill spring when they have awakened and left then remove the old nest and hope. Sincerely Craig. PS can you recommend a good primer on "beekeeping" that outlines the things I need to know if I decide to actually set up a hive or two. I am interested in this flow hive concept but concerned about the cost and experience level required.

[@frantisekzverina473]

Love the idea

[@danielweston9188]

As paper wasp's do complete with yellow jackets for early season food there is a good chance they do reduce the over all population.

[@FrederickDunn]

That's what I'm hoping for.

[@daryltrawick7793]

The very good idea some wasp is used for garden pest control so if you knew what species wasp was beneficial to the apiary would work.

[@honeybeematungkas2577]

Very interesting way of doing pest control. Just curious how do you catch the paper wasp and have them build their nest inside box? Do you just set a trap box?

[@wendybachman6224]

Are all paper wasps this same color pattern? I have some shaped like this in my yard, but they are bright yellow & black striped, and I'm wondering if they're also paper wasps...I haven't positively identified what they are yet, but they seem really to not care what our human activity is, and I've not seen them challenge the landing boards of my hives yet (I have seen it happen with yellow jackets, though).

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Wendy, this specific species of paper wasp is always this color. There are other species which may be lighter in color. Finding their nest is key and will provide the opportunity to identify them better. I'm working exclusively with the brownish red variety.

[@wendybachman6224]

​@@FrederickDunn Polistes dominula is what mine looks like, and their nests look exactly like what I saw pictured on Wikipedia. They do nothing to get rid of our yellow jacket infestation! I have set up multiple traps, but the number seem to just keep increasing. Any chance you'd be willing to sell me a Polistes fuscatus nest? I have never seen them around here, but I'd sure like to get my hands on some to see if they help.

[@FrederickDunn]

@@wendybachman6224 They are just now getting started, most have only two or three wasps on them. I'm not sure about selling or shipping native wasps species?

[@argentvixen]

How did you attract the paper wasps? Just setting out the empty wood boxes? I had things that looked like yellow jackets where I lived in the west, but they were not ground dwelling. They would make paper nests like the one in your video, especially on our wooden fence. I personally did not find them very aggressive, working in the garden right next to their nests. I wish I knew the species better because I have read that these might have been non native and would rather encourage native species, but I wouldn't know how to attract them specifically. Could emphasis on planting native plants help, do you think?

[@FrederickDunn]

In the spring of 2019, I'm going to demonstrate how to place the boxes and install paper wasps. They are great garden pest protection as they capture and feed small plant-eating-worms to their developing brood. This year, I'm evaluating the nests for proper sizing. The paper wasp species I show in this video is the most docile I've found and they are native.

[@enricolovadina3560]

Very good .

[@microtcpip]

Great video. I am having problems with yellow jackets, and so I was wondering if you could report on your paper wasp experiment. Thank you.

[@FrederickDunn]

Paper wasps continue to help push the yellowjackets out, but they are not enough by themselves. Hive entrances really need to be reduced to prevent wasps from getting into the hives particularly during early morning hours before the bees are warmed up.

[@smportis]

Interesting. Thanks for taking the time. Leaned something - use screen as an entrance reducer. Doh. Should have thought of that.

[@FrederickDunn]

Sometimes very simple solutions are the best :)

[@recklessroges]

Here in France we have, (since 2004) had Asian Hornets [vespa velutina] they aggressively attack yellow-jackets on the wing, but sadly they also kill honey bees and raid hives. Your paper-wasp idea might be the largest [vespa] that could currently guard an apiary, (though I suppose it won't be long before someone splices the paper-wasp temperament into a hornet germline.)

[@jsauerii]

I have the three main varieties of the paper wasps. The blacks you have, the reds and the ones painted like yellow jackets. Sometimes they will get nasty if you get too close but I am more so posting this in response to your comments and them and the bees relationships. I have seen them try to get into the hives and they have on occasion went into the hives which can cause all hell to break loose in a hurry. Mud daubers are more likely to do that though. These paper wasps do get thick on the feeders when feeding the bees sugar syrup as well as on the hummingbird feeders. They ever share the bees water supply most of the time. They also do have a taste for honey with out a doubt. They do however for the most part tolerate each other and feed on the same things, the bees can get irritable and attack each other at the feeders especially now in the fall and its getting worse but they leave these wasps pretty much alone.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences and observations, much appreciated.

[@bradgoliphant]

wonderful video Frederick. I need your expertise for winter and next spring. For starts, are you feeding your hives pollen sub right now? Or is that just for spring buildup (if I'm correct I think I remember you don't ever feed pollen sub) Regardless, I'm wondering if the bees would benefit from some extra pollen right now. Also, what types of bee boots do you wear to beekeep? I'm wanting to get a cheap pair of boots just for beekeeping. Thanks alwasy--and happy new year.

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Brad, regarding boots, I wear Muck Chore boots as I do lots of work around my property and pond with them. Regarding fall feeding of pollen patties. You're correct, I don't feed pollen patties. The bees store honey and pollen going into winter and it's important during your packdown inspections that you verify those resources. Someone wrote to me asking about having too much pollen in and if they should remove it. No, save the pollen and capped honey frames for wintering. Pollen patties and pollen substitutes have proven beneficial during spring build up. Even though I have pollen patties from Natural Apiary on hot standby for spring, nature always seems to kick in prior to me being able to open and add something like that. What I would do, is when there is a chance for an odd warmup, which looks likely thie year, I'd have pollen feeders ready to deploy on a moments notice. I'd rather put that out for foragers. The only auxiliarly resources I'm putting in the hives this year are dry sugar in Rapid-Round feeders, and Hive Alive Fondant for comparison purposes. Remember that we had high pollen loads coming in right into the end of October and early November. I would have expected yours to also have that?

[@bradgoliphant]

@@FrederickDunn I hope you know Frederick that I pay attention to all your input and am learning a great deal, so these question won't likely be repeated in the coming years, and I hope they are helpful to others. I have learned that by feeding pollen patties in the cold weather could have an impact on the bees digestion and metabolic waste and end up with dysentery problems. So I will follow your lead. Super grateful as always. Brad. thx for the boot info

[@FrederickDunn]

@@bradgoliphant Definitely, the more solids are provided to the bees going into winter, as well as the heavy mineral content of darker honey, the more cleansing flights will be needed :) You're very welcome Brad, I think you're doing a great job for your bees!

[@billbaskin4631]

Mr. Dunn, is there a relationship between the number of supers and the need for additional brood boxes also? Or, is hive growth experienced only by adding supers? Thank you. Bill

[@FrederickDunn]

HI Bill, very generally speaking, once the bees have established their brood frames, they rarely expand that area as the queen can lay only so many eggs in a day, 21 days later, those cells are vacated and then she lays in those cells again. So, that comb darkens and gets toughened up cycle after hatching cycle. They "may" migrate the brood area up to a second brood box and abandon the older brood comb down below. This is the reason that it's sometimes a good time to pull the lower box out, replace those frames with new ones and then replace it as the second box so the active brood frames are now the bottom deep and your second deep is the new honey super. I hope I am being clear about that? Then they will continue to rear brood in the bottom box and draw out the comb in the second deep which again.. may end up being used for brood as time progresses and those nurse bees migrate up as they direct the queen to lay in their approved clusters of cells. When a Queen goes rogue and lays in stray cells off the dictated path, nurse bees will follow along and eat those eggs... odd I know. The Queen has less control than most know. So expand the honey supers as they fill, but the brood area may move, but not increase in overall size.

[@julieenslow5915]

WOW. Not sure why we call her the Queen! Think we could just call her the Mother!

[@julieenslow5915]

Wait a minute. Frederick, beekeepers are often looking at the "laying pattern" of a queen. If the newborn nurse bees are directing the queen where to lay - we should not be replacing queens for bad patterns and laying issues. Or should we?

[@FrederickDunn]

@@julieenslow5915 HI Julie! It's been a long time since I've had a comment from you :) Yes, even though the workers are directly the Queen and approving or rejecting where she lays eggs, they are genetic stock from the Queen, so she's actually responsible for their conduct as well as her own. Sooooo.... if the Queen is performing poorly, it's her issue, either directly or through genetics.

[@julieenslow5915]

OK that makes sense. Thank you Frederick. I keep looking for you, but have been missing your videos I fixed that - I finally hit the bell for notifications! I'll go back and catch the older ones. Thank you for the lesson!!

[@helmuthschultes9243]

Great idea use natural control methods, there are many cases where such can be used in preference to modern chemical or other agressive solutions.

[@PhyllisGlassup2TheBrim]

"A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly ". Proverbial bee-keepers' saying, mid 17th century England; meaning that the later in the year it is, the less time there will be for bees to collect pollen from flowers in blossom.

[@58Kym]

Wow very interesting. Love to keep track of this paper wasp defense. I am not sure Australian paper wasps are so mellow, they definitely will come looking to sting close passersby. I am allergic to wasps and bees, not anaphylactic allergic but swell up and blood vessels near the sting break and bruise which leaves a large hot bruised lump that itches for weeks. I still find them all fascinating though and have been known to give exhausted bees a little honey when I find them on the ground.

[@spiritualinsight]

I have now twice had mud dobber wasps in my bedroom. The first one I didnt even realize has been in there. The place I live in DFT area of TX there's an AC unit through the wall. It haded Been sealed up properly on one side so you get light in. So one day saw a brown spot next to the unit. A few days later I had noticed when I went to turn it on that there was a hard bump almost looked like foam does sometimes. I'm from Colorado so I wasnt sure What this was. Poked a couple holes into it to see if it was mold or a hard foam; nothing really happened. So I sprayed it with bleach thinking it might be a mold and it started to come apart like wet mud. Grabbed some paper towels and went to pull it off. Not knowing it was a complete single cell mud dobber nest full of paralysed spiders I pulled it off to have a bunch fall onto my bed below. Freaked out. I'm not always a girly girl...but this had me running for a bit freaking out seeing spiders come out of a hard brown 'thing'. Second time was one had gotten in my room while I was sleeping. When I turned on the light the wasp started to almost panic flew from one Wall to another. I think i disoriented it so it lost the exit. I grabbed a mason jar and carefully got it out side. This being said I'm mot normally afraid of snakes or spiders or any thing like that. My knowledge of biology is an assest and asource of fear. I usually only freak out when I have no idea what I'm dealing with cause I'm afraid of getting stung or bit... If I had of known it was a mud dobber nest I would of just left it alone. They are gentle bugs usually.

[@crustybass75]

That is brilliant. Love it

[@broderickelliott8527]

Understanding the valuable environmental role of wasps (and not yet having implemented my plans for beekeeping), I've long dealt with them on the basis of what I call "The Treaty." A long as they don't build in my house/walls, etc or any place they come into conflict with my family (especially my children), I leave them alone. They're free to build up under my eaves or on my land wherever they see fit as long as nobody gets stung. In eight years as a homeowner, can count the times I've had to destroy a swarm on one hand. As strange as it sounds, it's like they understand.

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

We have a wasp here that has the exact colors as a yellow jacket and they are pretty aggressive. We also have a fairly large black torso/red abdomen wasp here that will get you. The third type is the red wasp and they are pretty aggressive. I wouldn't mind some paper wasp since they are passive. I will get a couple videos of the yellow jacket wasps(Guinea Wasp) we call them down south. and share it with you.

[@butterieflie]

Super very interesting!

[@Jack-es9xq]

do the wasps propolize? the box was super easy to open

[@FrederickDunn]

No they don't do that at all. They do sometimes run paper structure through a corner, but not the way bees do.

[@enriqueavila8628]

That is a great experiment, where how did you find the paper wasp hive I would like to have one or two to help the honey bees drive away the yellow jackets

[@FrederickDunn]

In the spring of 2019, I am going to make a video on how to collect early wasp nests and put them in your bee yard... watch and see! I just find queens that are making their nests in spring, when they have a few cells capped, I remove the nest with the queen. She won't leave the nest once there is capped brood. I hot-glue her nest where I want it to grow and there you have it, your own pet paper wasp. I'm also building shelters just for them.

[@ellocochiflao1726]

Very interesting thanks.

[@FrederickDunn]

You're welceome!

[@honklerton732]

That "wasp" at the very end looked more like a fracking hornet lol.

[@phillipcarter7801]

Thank you for your videos . I am Learning heaps . Phill Carter Sunnycliffs Victoria Australia

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment Phillip! Wishing you all the best there in Australia!

[@recklessroges]

(I wonder if we could breed a yellow-jacket eating dragonfly that would shepherd bees?)

[@FrederickDunn]

Hmm.... not yet anyway.