There are tiny ants scattered in front of my hive, picking at the dead bees. Will they eventually make their way into the hive? I?ve read ants don?t like cinnamon, so could I sprinkle some in front of the hive on the ground so they leave? Will the bees be ok with that smell outside their hive?
LizzieBee
Total newbee here, so take everything I say with a grain of salt and don't listen to me if someone contradicts me. :wink: I've had some ants on my hives and I sprinkled a thick layer cinnamon around the perimeter of the hive stand. I seems to keep them away, but I have to reapply it about weekly, or after it rains. The bees don't seem to notice it at all.
Thanks for the advice! I just looked again and it is not just a trail of ants, but an anthill of tiny red ants. I?m going to try boiling water down there. I?ve seen a video of someone pouring melted aluminum or something down an anthill. Yikes!
LizzieBee
Ants outside the hive, I don't worry about. If they are on the hive, that's a different story. I get them between the inner and outer cover. Cinnamon sprinkled on top of the inner cover helps.
How tiny are the ants?
Carpenter ants are a serious threat.
Fire ants and sugar ants do not seem to bee a problem.
I have ant like bugs in my hive that are not much bigger than the point of a pin. They are not a problem even being in the hive.
Jim
Quote from: cao on May 05, 2018, 10:44:13 PM
I get them between the inner and outer cover.
Do the bees have access to that space?
Quote from: Acebird on May 06, 2018, 08:52:23 AM
Quote from: cao on May 05, 2018, 10:44:13 PM
I get them between the inner and outer cover.
Do the bees have access to that space?
No they don't. I make most of my equipment and my inner covers have a screen covered hole for a mason jar feeder.
[attachment=0][/attachment]
Quote from: LizzieBee on May 05, 2018, 02:50:05 PM
There are tiny ants scattered in front of my hive, picking at the dead bees. Will they eventually make their way into the hive? I?ve read ants don?t like cinnamon, so could I sprinkle some in front of the hive on the ground so they leave? Will the bees be ok with that smell outside their hive?
LizzieBee
Why are ants eating dead bees a problem. That is how the world gets cleaned up from dead things.
Quote from: cao on May 06, 2018, 10:53:04 AM
No they don't.
Then the bees cannot get rid of the ants. No problem if you are willing to clean the top of the cover every other day for a couple of weeks. I have one solid inner cover and I take the hive tool and flick off the eggs every other day. The chickens can then eat the eggs. If you keep it up the ants will give in and find someplace else to live.
This is crazy.. I just did my first inspection today and I noticed the same issue. Well I had ants on the Hive itself up the sides. not for sure if they are in the hive or not. . For starters I took a wet rag and then wiped down the outside of the hive. I will check it tomorrow after work..
Any thoughts.
Thanks DJ
DJ,
What type of ants do you have?
The big ants, carpenter and bull ants, are usually the biggest problem.
Jim
Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 07, 2018, 08:25:14 AM
DJ,
What type of ants do you have?
The big ants, carpenter and bull ants, are usually the biggest problem.
Jim
I have seen only 1 big black carpenter ant. I have seen many of the smaller ants.. I think it was my fault, I had spilled some syrup when I was trying to put my pale feeder on the foundation-less hive.. I took a wet rag and wiped it down. I meant to go out today to check it but life got in the way :)
sorry.. I have been away.. the ants that I am seeing now are the little piss ants. ( not for sure if that is what they are actually called. ) I am seeing a lot of them especially climbing up the stand and into the screened bottom board. they seem to be all over the board. I was going to open up the deeps today but realized that I did not have any smoker fuel..