ApiShield Hornet Trap – Review
I blogged a few weeks ago about installing the Apishield Hornet Trap (link to post). I left it a couple of weeks before opening the side entrances as I was off on holiday and wanted to be around to inspect the contents every evening. My fear was finding honey bees in the trap.
Well – it has been very successful.
After 5 days, it had captured 20 wasps and no honeybees. 4 wasps a day. I imagine this rate will increase as wasps become more prevalent during July and August.
When the Asian Hornet arrives, usefully the Apishield will trap Asian hornet Queens in September-October reducing this population for the following year. This is not the case for European hornets and wasps which have a different reproductive cycle.
Click following link to visit Vita website for more information on the ApiShield. (Please note Vita provided me with this hornet trap).
Video below, shows me taking out and inspecting hornet trap.
Read More
- External link: ApiShield Hornet Trap (more information)
- Page: Asian Hornet, Vespa velutina
- Page: Beekeeping notes for my apiary
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Great news! The price would put me off though – I see there are only two UK distributors at the moment and one of those, Paynes Bee Farm (external link), is selling it for £50.
Some beekeeping equipment can seem expensive up front, but I think of it in terms of the benefits.
If we start with costs, I look at it as follows:
– ApiShield covers 5 hives (i.e. £10/hive) and will last say 20 years (i.e. 50p/hive/year)
If I look at it in terms of benefits:
– The trap could make the difference in terms of saving a colony of bees at some point in the next 20 years and immediately pay for itself (a potential saving of £150); or
– The trap may enable my average hive to create an additional 30g (or 1oz) of honey per year – this would justify the cost of 50p/hive/year
To my mind, benefits outweigh costs, though I appreciate there are cheaper options involving plastic bottles and jam. But if we ever see the Asian Hornet, this trap could come into it’s own.
Yes I see what you mean, it would cover your costs if your local wasp situation was so bad you lost colonies to it. If the Asian Hornet comes over here I would certainly buy one.
Thanks Roger, this would make a great wasp trap for our summer. I will have to look into these. So does use Bee Escapes to trap the wasps?
Cheers…Gary
Hi Gary, this trap uses conical bee escapes. The honeybees haven’t been trying to get in … so it’s the wasps and hornets that are trapped.
We are novice beekeepers & for the 2nd year running, our single colony has been destroyed by wasps, despite hours standing guard by the hive, numerous wasp traps & waspinators. The apishield looks as though it could be the answer. Please can you tell me which hive it fits? We’d like to replace our current one with a WBC hive. Many thanks!
The Apishield fits my National hive. Please ask Vita (http://www.vita-europe.com/products/apishield-hornet-trap/) any questions re WBC hives.
I notice you say Apishield covers five hives. Is that the recommendation – Apishield on one hive out of five? Because here’s me thinking ten hives and £500!
Such a problem with wasps and European hornets this year I will certainly invest.