Yellow Jacket Wasp Attack, Robbing Bees, Skunk Raids and what to do about it. Bee Hives get an edge.

[@lizimpey6338]

Hi Frederick, I remember when you discussed these gateways earlier in the year. I’m always happy for the bees to defend their home and family. I always love your slow-mo’s especially with dialogue. It’s great to see the real life of the honey bees and how they combat different challenges they face on a daily basis. Please keep sharing 👏👏👏😁👍

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much Liz. Slow motion really does allow us to see what's going on in great detail. Glad you liked it.

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

Yay!! Another fabulous video by The Bee Whisperer Mr. Dunn.

[@benjamindejonge3624]

Great background music too and thanks for including metric for the world

[@williamgray1263]

The cinematography is spellbinding. Thank you for the valuable content too.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you!

[@agaperootsurbanhomestead962]

Feel better! Loved the footage!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you!

[@Calypso4me]

Always love to see the bees defending the landing boards against the wasps in slow motion. Hope you feel better Fred.

[@leadeyefly3688]

you only get better. thank you for all the information...

[@anthonyc9911]

Fred, I witnesses a big European wasp go in my hive through the hive gate. The guards didn't pay it much mind. But like the company claimed. I waited 30 plus minutes or so, to watch for it to leave. I gave up. I had fun watching my girls work. Do not think the wasp could find its way out and was dispatched inside 🤔 What great footage!

[@FrederickDunn]

That was a bold hornet! The Asian Giant Hornets can't get in and Bumble Bees also can't get through the opening. I think that once that European Hornet was in, it likely couldn't find the entrance to make its escape, and that's a good thing. The inventor has video showing how the wasps inside instinctively head to the front of the hive and expire there rather than finding the "centered" hive-gate opening and doing what the bees do. Hornets chop up bees with almost no effort. I've watched European hornets dispatch Bald Faced Hornets like shears through grass. (';')...

[@callmeishmael7452]

A laser pointer dispatches a hornet in a second ( not a cat toy but a proper office pointer, Sinclair ). Of course one can’t sit there all day but an interesting tool.

[@JasonWester]

Feel better!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you, I seriously hate having a cough! I don't know how professional broadcasters do it :)

[@suzanneguiho4882]

Very good quality video, as always....especially loved the harvest scene at the end....just makes me love the country life more....beautiful....! Thank you.

[@danant5197]

Fred, I hope you will feel better soon. God bless you for your amazing work and videos.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you very much!

[@susanwhite1641]

Get well soon Fred, great video. Thank you

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you, Susan, I'm trying :)

[@Darren_Nicola]

Very interesting video , hope you feel much better soon take care , Daz 🇬🇧

[@elizabethrogers1152]

Love these videos! Thanks Mr Dunn. I'm just now getting over having bronchitis, stay well

[@FrederickDunn]

Sooo frustrating! I'm glad you're getting better!

[@tommartins712]

I hope you feel better soon!

[@billmeeks9860]

Great video Fred! I pray you get over your cold soon. Take care my brother.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you, I will :)

[@cbbees1468]

I think I'll have to re-watch this with the Gladiator battle scene music in the background. PS: Hope you feel better!

[@kimberlypaulson4545]

Glad you are taking care of yourself. I hope you feel better soon. Have a great weekend! and bless you. Oh, thank you for your wonderful videos. They are so informative with your beautiful photography.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much!

[@davekeith7504]

Its a good film and very interesting.Oh I remember soapy the skunk .

[@joeelam1]

Loved it, my hivegate is also doing a great job.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you, Joe! I've receive no negative feedback on them so far. We'll see how the winter goes.

[@charrison2005]

I hope you feel better soon.

[@angelacross2216]

Beautiful videography .thanks.

[@FrederickDunn]

You're welcome, and thanks for watching as always :)

[@thaiandi]

This footage is phenomenal. So clear. Thank you for sharing.

[@FrederickDunn]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MikeTsBees]

I really need to put something down in front of my hives so I can see more dead bees and wasps. Thanks for another great video Fred.

[@michaelmueller4946]

TY and heal up brother❤️✝️

[@brianbeck32]

Hope you feel better soon

[@sonofthunder.]

enjoyed the info about wasps ,yellow jackets and the social/non social behavior,...how bees need to cluster,and wasps queens overwinter, sologreat footage of the hive gates ,cool nites here nw arkansas

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much, Mark!

[@MinnesotaBeekeeper]

I've seen motion activated sprinklers for sale, someplace.

[@FrederickDunn]

Yes, those are great for keeping chickens out of gardens. But I don't need them spraying my hives. Elevating the hive landing boards is a solid fix. I'll also keep the noise emitters out there. But the skunk isn't reaching the landing boards anymore.

[@MinnesotaBeekeeper]

@@FrederickDunn Sorry, joke. We were watching Monty Python 🐝

[@MinnesotaBeekeeper]

Oddly enough we literally live in a small lake village called Coon Lake Beach. Lol You can't make this stuff up.

[@sushicatyt]

I found a lot of dismembered loss parts both in the little slide tab singing and just laying out on my foundation and I’ve only found a few dead bees but those were caused by pesticides

[@robertmathurin739]

Happy Friday Mr Dunn,, 🇱🇨👍🏿♥️

[@williambowers5994]

Thank you

[@piledriver141]

Hey Fred 👍great video. By the way, goldenrod and a few Species of wildflowers have been blooming for the last 2 to 3 weeks here in Southeast Texas

[@johnhenke6475]

21:20. I like the idea of working with nature or even working around it. But avoid killing it.

[@arc6232]

Fred, thank you for sharing the tips on keeping our hives safe from robbing and of course the skunks, are the hive gates sold here in the USA, I would like to get a couple to try out. Once again thank you for the great tips.

[@FrederickDunn]

They are working on getting a U.S. supplier, but for now are sold direct from New Zealand. There is a link to their site on my main website.

[@rayangelbanzz6595]

This look like a action movie with the bees and wasps fighting😆

[@wadebarnes6720]

Armadillos messing with mine

[@peacepeople9895]

Very cool video...thank you

[@SteveDratwa]

GREAT INFO,,,i like the slo-mo fights,they're koool,,,,i KNOW i hav a skunk out back,i can smell'em,,he aint tryin to get in the hives,,no signs of attacks,,the height does matter,,GET WELL MAN

[@cliveharrison733]

Hi Fred great footage, an idea I came across last year when I had a massive onslaught on my hives from wasps was a piece of surface mounted electrical conduit mounted over the entrance with a slot cut into the back and left open either end, the bees adapt very quickly but gives them a corridor to defend, the wasps don’t seem to be able to figure it out. Thanks for the vid

[@kathyhathaway8823]

Good informative video. Thanks

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you!

[@wadebarnes6720]

That's what I hate about alarms they get used to them

[@FrederickDunn]

The possums run around all dazed when the alarms go off. Most skunks do also. This individual didn't seem to care at all... the good news is if I elevate the hive, I don't need an alarm.

[@wadebarnes6720]

@@FrederickDunn we got possums in armadillos which looks like a possum but with a hard shell possums don't too much bother them

[@kamelionify]

Hi Fred, interesting video as usual. I have a question about overwintering bees. When forager bees bring nectar into the hive, a storekeeper bee takes the nectar and puts it into a "honey cell". Is this the same in reverse when the bees are clustered for winter and feed off their honey reserves?

[@FrederickDunn]

That's a great question and I should talk about this activity in a Q&a... there are feeder bees that transit the honey to the center of the cluster as well as water bees that zip around providing water to those doing work within the cluster. It's an amazing organization and distribution of labor.

[@beeginner7681]

Hello Mr. Dunn, I have a question about ventilation and condensation when temperatures vary day by day and week by week. I have 2 Flow hive deep boxes each topped with 2 waxed Hoover mediums and shallows containing rapid round feeders on top. Last week we had night temps. in the 40’s, day temps in the 60’s. I closed the Flow Hive vents at the back of the deep boxes, (vents in the down position). Now the temps are in the 50’s and 60’s at night and day temps will be in the 70’s and low 80’s for the next couple of weeks. I also have the flow hive entrance reducers on due to the yellow jackets, which really has helped. Sorry for this long question, but basically with up and down temps we have in Texas, how is it best to treat the position of the Flow Hive vent positions? Is there a temp range you recommend for vents open and vents in the closed position? Thank you!

[@FrederickDunn]

For the conditions you're describing and the size of that hive, I'd leave those back vents open for now. Remember those only vent across the bottom and don't impact what the bees are controlling up above. When it does settle in with cold temps, don't forget to close that back vent and also turn your insert tray upside down so it doesn't hold any water. :)

[@beeginner7681]

@@FrederickDunn Thank you! Do you oil the upside down tray when it’s in that position? Would temps below 50 be a good guideline for closing the vents and turning the tray upside down?

[@FrederickDunn]

@@beeginner7681 I don't oil them for the upside down position. It wouldn't hurt to go ahead and close the vents so you won't forget them later on. The entrance provides more than enough for the colony. :)

[@beeginner7681]

@@FrederickDunn Thank you so much!

[@alanwiebelhaus8750]

Hi Fred I am interested in trying a few of the hyfegates but having trouble finding them for sale can you direct me down the yellow brick road ? Thanks alan

[@FrederickDunn]

If you follow the link in the video description, that page will always have the current Bee-IQ Solutions link. It changed from the original site so I now just direct people to my page as that will always be current.

[@alanwiebelhaus8750]

@@FrederickDunn thanks I was having trouble finding it in a search Also have you noticed on your long Lang if the hive is behind your langstroth hives? All of my langstroth hives have had there increase in brood rearing and now just small amounts of brood the hives are packet with bees. So I am assuming they now have there winter bees and set for cold weather. The long Lang is just starting to produce the the boost in brood that would be about 2 weeks behind the other hives. Have you seen this in yours. Alan

[@thedaughertyfamily245]

Hey there, I enjoy your footage so much! The quality is second to none. I would really love to avail myself, and my bees, of the benefits of the hive gates but am having difficulty locating some. Any suggestions 🤔

[@FrederickDunn]

There is a link in the video description. or you can also googld Bee-IQ Solutions. For now they are available direct from New Zealand.

[@wadebarnes6720]

I had one of my five gallon buckets the bottom busted it was full of honey so I took it outside to round up another bucket to put it in by the time I got out it was covered even at night two days 5 gallons of Honey was gone

[@FrederickDunn]

Bees definitely don't hesitate to exploit any available resource. Can't imagine why a bucket bottom failed?

[@mrwonk]

Have you tried a baited rat trap in front of the hive? That might eliminate your midnight predator risk.

[@FrederickDunn]

Hasn't been necessary so far.

[@Chinoxl186]

Do you still keep the upper entrances on the supers?

[@FrederickDunn]

I personally use no upper entrances and no upper venting.

[@Chinoxl186]

@@FrederickDunn so you closed the upper entrances you used to have or did you just replace the boxes? I think they were circular holes

[@FrederickDunn]

@@Chinoxl186 Those upper entrance holes weren't accessible by the bees as the interior hole was covered by the rapid round feeder. I provided vent holes for the bees and they glued them closed with propolis, so no more top vents at all. You're right, I provided them and the bees demonstrated their desire to close them off.

[@jaredgodwin5956]

What’s the name of this hive-stand? 13:56

[@FrederickDunn]

Lyson.

[@RcOutreach]

Awesome video I've looked throughout Fred's page, and read most of the comments does anyone know where you can buy these Blue door openings at? Awesome video I'm going to subscribe and thank you for your time and making the videos!

[@FrederickDunn]

They are called Hive Gates, and sold by BeeIQ Solutions. In the United States, BetterBee carries them. www.fredsfinefowl.com/hivegateinformation.html

[@Peter-od7op]

Ty so much for the vdo.

[@FrederickDunn]

My pleasure!

[@westfarmandbees]

This was great to see! Love the footage. I’ve been using the Fdit mouse guard and entrance reducers. I’m sure these are better than nothing but how would you compare them the Hive Gate?

[@FrederickDunn]

Wasps and robbing bees can still go right through those, so they have a different initial application.

[@jpthedelawarebeeman6239]

Feel better Fred & thanks for the Video - I thought I heard something off in your voice at the start ! My allergies have been bad the past 4-6 weeks now :(

[@FrederickDunn]

Yep, it's definitely impacting my voice and I can't speak at length. I did order some throat spray :)

[@bradgoliphant]

Frederick, so sorry for all the back to back question but promise this is my last one. About the Hivegate-have you ever experienced problems with rain water accumulation inside the Hivegates-thus blocking bee traffic? Grateful. Promise to back off for a bit-ha

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Brad, we've had lots of heavy weather here, and we get plenty of rain. I've never observed water accumulating inside the Hive Gate channels. Since they are also slightly tilted toward the landing board, I can't imagine how gravity could work to introduce water into them? The channel is open to the outside without any lip, while the interior has a raised edge that would prevent water from passing into the hive IF it made it that far. Just based on design alone, I think any water would simply run back out. A mockup could be constructed, and a garden hose could be used to demonstrate what water does when introduced into or onto a hive gate entrance.

[@naturesblossom7779]

Such great footage, thanks! How high do your hives get with honey supers on when raising them up? I have mine on two pallets which isn’t quite high enough and I can’t lift the honey supers off without stepping on the pallets.

[@FrederickDunn]

These days I don't stack more than four boxes high. If they go above that, I remove full honey supers as the year progresses. I'm frequently swapping out drawn comb filled boxes for the full supers and that keeps them working and my hive stacks manageable.

[@noahriding5780]

I'm curious if the preferences of skunks is fairly equal between wasps and bees or heavily in favor of eating bees more?

[@FrederickDunn]

They definitely would naturally have more access to wasps and grubs over honey bees that would be higher in trees. But I think they get more larval protein from wasps in the ground. They are equali opportunity scavengers, so whatever they get with the least expended energy would likely be high on their list.

[@noahriding5780]

@@FrederickDunn wow. Interesting. fun. Thank you.

[@noahriding5780]

Hope you get feeling better. When I heard your audio you do sound a bit ...not quite hoarse but kind of stuffed up. ... On a side note; I had a thought to bounce of you that had me curious. I just like thinking and talking bees... Anyway, when I put out sugar syrup its getting flooded with wasps and yellow jackets. Yesterday and today killed tons of them. And then when I go back they are almost back to the same numbers as before. Its crazy. I must have gotten rid of hundreds of them...but to save the bees not because I don't like them. It does seem that wasps and yellow jackets do play a roll in helping the hive population slim down to not over do its stores of food. But...at the same time I'm wondering... how many bees is 1 wasp or yellow jacket equal to in terms of how many bees a single wasp or yellow jacket could eat in its life time? (Or at least in a season?) This is naturally hard to think about, I don't think there's an easy answer. But I wonder what you think on this.

[@oubliette862]

if a skunk sprays the hive or near it does that ruin anything? I wonder if you used a single subwoofer that pushed a hard bump when things got close if that would be more effective than the squealers. the animals would physically feel the sub and it may startle them away.

[@FrederickDunn]

Skunk spray hasn't had any noticeable impact on the bees. Regarding a subwoofer, that would stress the bees for sure, and not sure the skunk would care.

[@gordonlassen2626]

Fred, Do you know if the Hive Gate is available for beekeepers in Utah? I can''t find it on Amazon and the link to the home website shows "no access". Any thoughts on how to get these products? Thanks. Gordon

[@FrederickDunn]

Do a google search for Bee-IQ Solutions and you'll find their website. They do ship to the U.S.. Which link was dead? I need to fix that asap. Thanks.

[@hatedcritic8066]

Personally, I like the occasional change of format for videos. I hope you get your voice back soon. It is the perfect opportunity to see if adding honey to your tea helps sooth your voice. Take care.

[@timothymeuleners6589]

👍

[@mikedarkow7788]

i put sheet metal in front of all my hives never seen tracks on them i think the skunks dont like slippery services. and yes i have skunks

[@leissatollard-darby4461]

Where do I get one of these from?

[@FrederickDunn]

They are sold in the U.S. through BetterBee.

[@brecar4361]

I have a question about the hive gate as far has this had any affect on hive beetles and wax moths what are your thoughts on this problem?

[@FrederickDunn]

My thoughts are that any entrance that makes beetles or other potential pests have to travel farther and engage more guards, the better. Wax moths generally don't make any headway with occupied hives that are healthy. Beetles need to be able to land and walk in, so if the hive-gate was elevated off of the landing board, the beetles would have that much more to overcome. We need to hear more from those in high beetle areas to get a good grip on if that's working or not.

[@brecar4361]

@@FrederickDunn I may try it I had around 20 hive beetles in one hive put more traps and cleaned up the other one so next year I will try it as of the spring and see how it goes thank you for replying back and the videos .

[@timothymitchell8310]

Are you able to change the sounds of those noise emitters? Let’s say something that sounds like a explosion from a gun. Feel better and I will be watching next week. I look forward to it, literally.

[@FrederickDunn]

Nope, they have a set sound range. Down to one skunk that ignores them, but since the hive was elevated there hasn't been anything on camera.

[@sonofthunder.]

hey froggy fred,hope your doing great

[@FrederickDunn]

Just a cold, it shall pass soon! Thanks, Mark.

[@sonofthunder.]

@@FrederickDunn i saw your flow smoker review on amazon, where i got the frog reference

[@callmeishmael7452]

Roll out chicken wire suspended over bricks as a surrounding blanket around your hives. skunks hate it. Raccoons hate it it and neither will walk on it. Space the bricks 4’.

[@FrederickDunn]

Or, just elevate the hives. I'd have grass and weeds going through any chicken wire, I don't have any raccoons interested in the hives. I wouldn't want that clutter, but if it works and you like the look of that, might be a good idea for some?

[@sallypatriot9015]

Sorry you not feeling well, with the Cold! ack! Drink some Honey heheeh

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you, Sally, I'm feeling much better now :)

[@Unpainted_Huffhines]

I don't get it. Even if a wasp manages to make it past the guard bees a the entrance, wouldn't it have to fight its way all the way inside to get to the brood or honey? I mean, aren't the yellow jackets _always_ at a numerical disadvantage? Edit: watched the rest of the video. Do the bees just not notice a foreign smelling wasp sneaking around inside their hive?

[@FrederickDunn]

The wasps scoot up the hive interior wall and then have access to the brood frames as they are not generally well guarded by the nurse bees. Nurse bees are pushovers. The guard bees are most often concentrated near the entrances and edges of the boxes. We can observe successful raiding wasps exiting the hives, even pausing on the landing board as they twist their abdomens around before flight.

[@Unpainted_Huffhines]

@@FrederickDunn Ah, I see, I assumed that all the bees would rally to fight an intruder, but it sounds like nurse bees are kind of single minded. Thanks for the education.

[@Morphixx]

This music sounds like it's from Final Fantasy... Maybe I'm just a nerd.