Bees v Wasps

[woofas]

I have had a nest of Red Tailed Bumblebees (Bombus lapidarius) in a tit box in my garden for a number of weeks. Lately the nest seems to be attracting the attention of a large number of wasps even though the bees are still going in and out. The wasps are actually entering the box.

Are the wasps after the honey or are they trying to take over the nest or even trying to build their own nest in the same box? Any suggestions?

[Ron Nash]

woofas,

At a guess and presuming the wasps are the 'normal' wasps, seen around sugary foods this time of year, they are probably after the honey. They would not be building a nest; a new one is built by a solitary queen wasp in the spring; some of these queen wasps overwinter (hibernate) and some hibernate as grubs.

A photo is needed to decide which one is which; the face is often used to help identify the species.

Hope this helps.

Ron