Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: saltybluegrass on August 23, 2019, 12:35:29 PM

Title: Hey sawdust !!! Oil trays under my hives ?feet?
Post by: saltybluegrass on August 23, 2019, 12:35:29 PM
Went and checked my 6? disks under my hives feet and a couple were just FILLED  with ants the other hive had 10-15 dead bees in them. I used coronal corn oil- This is my recent 10 frame nuc showing all frames being worked with frames from 3 hives.
Are these possible robbers?
Title: Re: Hey sawdust !!! Oil trays under my hives ?feet?
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 27, 2019, 11:07:40 PM
I?m not really sure what you?re asking, but I guess you are asking about the bees in in the 6 inch (?) disks under the feet. More than likely they are the hive bees walking around the hive, probably at night that are falling in the oil.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: Hey sawdust !!! Oil trays under my hives ?feet?
Post by: paus on August 27, 2019, 11:44:42 PM
Do these bees have wings that are intact or do  they have worn out wings?  I had a hive in a wooded area a few years ago. and almost every time I went by the hive early in the morning there would be a Piliated Woodpecker eating dead and crawling bees.  Maybe something to look for.
Title: Re: Hey sawdust !!! Oil trays under my hives ?feet?
Post by: saltybluegrass on August 29, 2019, 01:19:28 AM
Jim I thought I?ve read where you say to place those pans under the hive feet to off the ants.
Title: Re: Hey sawdust !!! Oil trays under my hives ?feet?
Post by: Ben Framed on August 29, 2019, 01:23:36 AM
Quote from: saltybluegrass on August 29, 2019, 01:19:28 AM
Jim I thought I?ve read where you say to place those pans under the hive feet to off the ants.

Salty there is an older gentleman over in Louisiana that places the feet in oil pans for that very reason.
Phillip
Title: Re: Hey sawdust !!! Oil trays under my hives ?feet?
Post by: saltybluegrass on August 29, 2019, 07:55:11 AM
I was reasoning maybe liking robbers circling these new new nucs
Title: Re: Hey sawdust !!! Oil trays under my hives ?feet?
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 29, 2019, 08:47:29 AM
Quote from: saltybluegrass on August 29, 2019, 01:19:28 AM
Jim I thought I?ve read where you say to place those pans under the hive feet to off the ants.
Salty,
One of the problems with cans with our weather is that the rains fill them up with water and flush the oil out. Ants can build an ant bridge across the water.
I installed upside down plastic cups on the bottom side of my racks. It works great until the grass grows up under neath the racks. The ants just use the grass as a bridge.
Jim Altmiller

Title: Re: Hey sawdust !!! Oil trays under my hives ?feet?
Post by: Ben Framed on August 29, 2019, 10:07:38 AM
Quote from: sawdstmakr on August 29, 2019, 08:47:29 AM
Quote from: saltybluegrass on August 29, 2019, 01:19:28 AM
Jim I thought I?ve read where you say to place those pans under the hive feet to off the ants.
Salty,
One of the problems with cans with our weather is that the rains fill them up with water and flush the oil out. Ants can build an ant bridge across the water.
I installed upside down plastic cups on the bottom side of my racks. It works great until the grass grows up under neath the racks. The ants just use the grass as a bridge.
Jim Altmiller

I like that idea Jim. Can you send a picture ?
Title: Re: Hey sawdust !!! Oil trays under my hives ?feet?
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 29, 2019, 04:09:21 PM
Here is one from when I first built one of them.
[attachment=0][/attachment]

Jim Altmiller