Boric Acid questions

Chanticleer48 · July 06, 2014, 03:13:29 PM

I have been having some problems with fire ants getting into my entrance feeders, I am thinking about sprinkling boric acid around my hives. A couple of questions.....will the boric acid be detrimental to my bees and will the boric acid keep the ants away. I have my hives on cinder blocks and I can not find any diamataceous earth.....need some advice.

P.S. cinnamon does NOT work.

Better.to.Bee.than.not · July 06, 2014, 06:18:26 PM

yes, boric acid will kill your bees, and yes it is effective against ants. You 'can' use it for ants, but you have to keep the bees away from it. This is done of course by putting it into a container that ants can get into but bees will not be able too, but considerations that should be thought of are, you do not want the ants to drag any out to a place the bees will get to it, in case they drop it or leave it behind or track it. make a separate container completely and have it behind the hive (opposite side as the entrance) or where bees do not go, and also protected from water washing the boric acid out to where bees could lap it up or track it into the hive.
I've mixed it with sugar and a tiny bit of hot water which marries the sugar to it so the ants eat both. the ants will be gone within 3-4 days then you can remove the poison even, if using it for control purposes.

oh sorry, use about a 3 boric acid to 1 ratio of sugar btw. a plastic cd case works good for a container with holes in the side. lasts forever, keeps the water out, allows the ants in, not bees/etc.

BeeMaster2 · July 06, 2014, 10:00:51 PM

Look for a pool supply store to find DE.
Jim

Chanticleer48 · July 06, 2014, 10:14:04 PM

Thanks Guys.

sc-bee · July 06, 2014, 10:17:51 PM

Just lose the entrance feeders........and lose the ants at the entrance.

Michael Bush · July 07, 2014, 03:56:14 PM

If you mix the boric acid (or borax) with jelly I have not seen the bees show interest in it if there is a nectar flow.

Chambersjaym · July 08, 2014, 07:49:47 AM

I had a terrible problem with a breed of fire ants this spring. After some research I raised my hive on stilts and put vegetable oil in a tray under the legs. This solved my any problem. Here is a pic of what I put together.

Better.to.Bee.than.not · July 08, 2014, 10:24:56 AM

Quote from: Michael Bush on July 07, 2014, 03:56:14 PM
If you mix the boric acid (or borax) with jelly I have not seen the bees show interest in it if there is a nectar flow.

Hmm, that is interesting. what type of jelly, petroleum, grape, strawberry?

Michael Bush · July 08, 2014, 01:00:52 PM

>what type of jelly, petroleum, grape, strawberry?

I've always used "cheap" but that is usually generic grape.

Better.to.Bee.than.not · July 09, 2014, 12:25:25 AM

weird, you'd think bees would like edible jelly...Ok, let me rephrase. 'I' would think. Thanks for teaching me something else Michael, always appreciated.

Michael Bush · July 09, 2014, 11:33:10 AM

In a dearth the bees might take an interest. If you put the jelly in a tupperware sandwich container and drill a lot of 1/8" holes you could even use it in a dearth.

Better.to.Bee.than.not · July 10, 2014, 04:02:14 AM

ya, good idea. I used those older plastic CD cases myself. large flat area with plenty of payload, ants can go in, bees cannot. and I get to save my tupper ware for other stuff. haha. I have like a gazillion of those cases also.