Bouncers

As mentioned the last few days, have closed down the entrances on all three hives to the smallest possible to ease the stress caused by defending the hives from wasps.

In the photo top to bottom:
Top: the offspring hive - here there is some ready made sugar solution but it seems to be less attractive to the wasps. Due to the small colony, they seem to defend themselves by filling the opening with huge numbers, simply blocking the entrance. (Today less activity due to weather)

Middle: Hive still has a kilo or so of sugar paste which seems to draw the wasps much more than the ready made solution in the offspring hive. Here there are lots of dead wasps in front of the entrance and almost continuously 5 or 6 wasps trying to get in. Constant activity.

Bottom: No more sugar paste in the hive and the best developed hive. They seem to be much more confident and a couple of bouncers seem to be enough to cope.