Wasps
Krankheiten
The common wasp and the German wasp hunt insects in late summer, including honey bees.
The common wasp and the German wasp hunt insects in late summer, including honey bees. From July to September they are regularly seen in front of the entrances. The Swiss bee health service classifies them as conditionally problematic while also listing them as beneficial insects.
For a strong, healthy colony, wasps are not a serious problem. The guard bees keep them away from the entrance. It becomes dangerous for weak units, nuclei, and queenless or Varroa-damaged colonies that can no longer defend their entrance. In the debris, wasp damage is recognized by dead bees having been taken apart.
The most effective measure is simple: narrow the entrance, and do so in good time from the end of the nectar flow. In addition comes clean working practice, meaning not spilling while feeding, no open feed at the apiary, immediately sealing off dead colonies, and not leaving honey-damp equipment standing outside. Weak units are kept especially tight or united with others.
The relevant authorities advise against traps. They kill many other insects along with the target species, and beneficial insects belong to the fauna at the apiary. Rat and ant poison must not be used at the apiary.
Legally in Germany: all wild animals are under the general protection of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (Bundesnaturschutzgesetz); they may not be deliberately disturbed and may not be killed without good reason. The European hornet is additionally under special protection, while the common wasp and German wasp are not.