Wasps, Ants, & Pill Bugs

ccwonka · June 06, 2008, 04:19:58 PM

So here's one for the experts . . . I have two new hives started from nucs about two weeks ago about 100yards from the house. We are having a serious Wasp problem at the house, and they're going up into our eaves via the siding, so i can't just selectively spray nests. We also have a massive number of pill bugs living at the perimiter of the house. And to top it all off we have ants, and they're all the way at the hives.

Can I safely - Spray the exterior of my home with a commercial bug spray, obviously keeping it off the bushes and such around the house? Can I add a ground treatment at the house to minimize the number of pill bugs? Can I put out ant bait in the yard without baiting bees as well?

Anyone who has any advice on how to handle these situations now that I have bees, please chime in and let me know . . . my instinct says that the house is far enough from the hives that the spray shouldn't matter on the house, but I worry about granules for the pill bugs, and I have no idea whether or not ant bait is safe near the hives or not!!!!

Thanks!
CC

MrILoveTheAnts · June 06, 2008, 05:34:30 PM

Exactly how are the ants harming your hive?

Kathyp · June 06, 2008, 05:58:09 PM

in my experience, spray does nothing for the wasp problem unless you spray the nest. pill bugs don't hurt anything. ants are pesky, but can be repelled with cinnamon and putting your hives on legs sitting in tuna cans of oil. ants can be a problem when you have honey in your supers.

try putting out some wasp traps. use cat food or tuna as bait.

ccwonka · June 06, 2008, 06:05:08 PM

It's not an issue of them harming the hives . . . it's more an issure that they were born and raised as fire ants, and they continue to breed and raise more fire ants . . . and both my kids and I walk the yard barefoot all the time. I don't just want them away from the hives, I want them away from my entire property!

No offense if you love ants, but the biting ones will have to make way for my family and I. As for the pill bugs, the issue is that once winter comes here in Georgia they are notorious for entering the walls of houses and eating any loose wood or filler they find there, as well as coming out and wandering around the house in large numbers.

Ideally I'd like to put out some ant bait near the mounds (which some of happen to be near the hives) and some ground treatment around the perimiter of my house, but I don't know if either of these things might be harmful to my bees!!!!

Thanks!
CC

Kathyp · June 06, 2008, 06:27:08 PM

if JP doesn't chime in on this, PM him. he probably can give you some good info.

MrILoveTheAnts · June 06, 2008, 06:31:12 PM

The most humain way I know to deal with fire ants it to pour a bowl of boiling water right on the mound! If you're using insecticides and the mound is reasonably away form the hive I recommend spraying a ring around the mound itself and then spray right in the middle, this causes the fleeing ants to run through the poison.

I do love ants but I know the difference between an infestation and the way nature intended. ;)

Wasps, if you can't spray the nest then close up the entrance to whatever they're nesting in. This helps prevent new nests form forming each year.

Pill Bugs, in my opinion, are the biggest problem. They're a relative of the crap, they will devourer plants just as slugs would. I have no idea what eats them naturally. Ants even have trouble killing them. The best you can do is reassess the drainage situation outside. They love moist conditions.

rast · June 07, 2008, 09:45:04 AM

I think I live in the largest fire ant bed around. Bees don't eat the fire ant bait that you sprinkle on the mound. The ants will consume it pretty quick anyway and the ants that don't die will then move about 20 or 30 ft. Patience can get them over in your neighbors yard :-D. I don't mind a bed under my hives as long as they stay out of them. Drop a wax moth larva in one and watch. A goner. A ring of waterproof grease around the hive stand legs is the best I have found for me to keep them out.

JP · June 07, 2008, 10:12:09 AM

Quote from: ccwonka on June 06, 2008, 04:19:58 PM
So here's one for the experts . . . I have two new hives started from nucs about two weeks ago about 100yards from the house. We are having a serious Wasp problem at the house, and they're going up into our eaves via the siding, so i can't just selectively spray nests. We also have a massive number of pill bugs living at the perimiter of the house. And to top it all off we have ants, and they're all the way at the hives.

Can I safely - Spray the exterior of my home with a commercial bug spray, obviously keeping it off the bushes and such around the house? Can I add a ground treatment at the house to minimize the number of pill bugs? Can I put out ant bait in the yard without baiting bees as well?

Anyone who has any advice on how to handle these situations now that I have bees, please chime in and let me know . . . my instinct says that the house is far enough from the hives that the spray shouldn't matter on the house, but I worry about granules for the pill bugs, and I have no idea whether or not ant bait is safe near the hives or not!!!!

Thanks!
CC

Ok, like Kathy says the pillbugs, a pest??? Nope. But... if they are being freeloaders first try and find out why you have them in the first place, could be you are attracting them. http://www.northern.edu/natsource/INVERT1/Pillbu1.htm

As for fire ants if you want a once a season treatment you can try Talstar pl, which can be applied with a Scott's or other type handheld brodacast spreader. I use the Scott's on the lowest setting and use it in a band around the house where you don't want fire ants. Also place some concentrated on visible mounds, lasts about three months.

The wasps are difficult, but try caulking and sealing where they are getting in to exclude them, do a little bit at a time, as every home seems to have a bizzillion entry points for wasps. If they are in the attic you can fog with an approved product as a knockdown, just be sure to turn pilots off FIRST.

On the outside, that's a tough one, but you will need to directly target the wasps nests, exterior resisduals such as Talstar insecticide liquid only last a couple of weeks to three weeks, rain, permitting.

Just remember, not all creepy crawlers are bad, you can pm me if you like,

...JP

Michael Bush · June 07, 2008, 12:22:02 PM

>We are having a serious Wasp problem at the house, and they're going up into our eaves via the siding, so i can't just selectively spray nests.

But if you don't you won't kill any of the wasps.

> We also have a massive number of pill bugs living at the perimiter of the house.

And why is that a problem?

> And to top it all off we have ants, and they're all the way at the hives.

There are ALWAYS ants everywhere. Pick ten square feet of dirt and look. You'll find at least three ant hills. I would get used to them. The bees do.