Yes, aamof, I have a bowl of cappings out there right now. There are some
yellowjackets that are there with the bees but as I said in my last post, I
put screen over half the hive entrances and it seems to help the bees
control the entrance.  It seems to take them about 2-3 days to clean
cappings. Only about 1 afternoon to clean up my 2 frame extractor.

I sometimes sit and watch the dynamics of the bees cleaning up the cappings
and equipment. I have 2 hives, and some wild bees come(undoubtedly from an
escaped swarm, spring managment comes at my busiest work season). Initially
there is some exitement when I set out wet equipment, but then they really
get busy cleaning up the honey, and cleaning up each other when they are
coated with honey.  There doesn't seem to be any real fighting going on,
even when bees and yellowjackets are licking the honey off each other. A
few large wasps hang around, but nobody seems bothered by it.  Occasional
"spats", but they are more interested in the honey.  Very strange, but it
seems to work.  Perhaps its because of my proximity, or maybe because I
often feed my bees during honey droughts. I really don't know.  I do know
the danger of robbing, and am always looking out for it, but so far I guess
I've been lucky.......?

Vivian

>
>Do you do this in the fall too?  I tried this, but any time after the first
>of August in Ohio, it attracts too many yellow jackets.  The yellow jackets
>then try to get into the hives.  Linda

>>What I do to clean up my cappings is put them out for the bees to clean up.