As summer draws close, bees start to reduce their populations, conserving resources for the upcoming colder months while their natural predators, such as wasps and beewolves, are reaching peak numbers.

This imbalance poses a significant threat to bee colonies, and beekeepers must prepare for an imminent assault to protect their hives.

The Seasonal Shift in Bee Populations

As the days shorten the queen bee slows down her egg-laying, and the worker bees focus on preparing the hive for winter.

This reduction in numbers is a survival strategy, ensuring that the hive’s resources, particularly honey stores, are sufficient to sustain the colony through the winter.

However, this decrease in bee numbers can leave the colony vulnerable to attacks from predators like wasps and beewolves, which are still actively foraging and expanding their populations.

The Rising Threat of Wasps

Wasps are notorious for becoming more aggressive as summer ends.

Their colonies, having grown throughout the season, now face dwindling food sources.

As a result, wasps turn their attention to bee hives, where they can find honey and, unfortunately, bees themselves as a source of protein.

A large number of wasps can quickly overwhelm a weakened bee colony, leading to significant losses.

Wasps can invade hives, steal honey, and even kill bees, further reducing the population and threatening the hive’s survival to extinction.

The Danger of Beewolves

Beewolves, a type of predatory wasp, pose an additional threat to bee colonies.

These predators specifically target bees, paralyzing them and taking them back to their burrows to feed their larvae.

As the beewolf population grows in late summer, the risk to bee colonies increases, particularly for smaller or already weakened hives.

Preparing for the Assault

Beekeepers must be proactive in protecting their hives during this critical time.

Here are some strategies to help safeguard bee colonies against wasps and beewolves:

Strengthen Hive Defenses: Reduce the entrance size of the hive to make it easier for bees to defend against invaders.

This simple adjustment can prevent large numbers of wasps from entering the hive.

Monitor and Trap Wasps: Regularly inspect the apiary for signs of wasp activity.

Setting up wasp traps around the hives can help reduce the number of predators in the area, lowering the risk of an attack.

Maintain Strong Colonies: Ensure that your bee colonies are healthy and strong as they head into the late summer and early autumn.

A well-populated hive is better equipped to defend against predators and recover from any losses.

Remove Attractants: Keep the area around the hives clean and free from attractants, such as spilled honey or fruit, which can draw wasps and other pests.

Consider Relocation: If wasp or beewolf activity becomes too intense, consider relocating the hives to a safer location until the threat has passed.