Ants -vs- Honeybees

[Joseph Clemens]

Along with the lizards, birds, and toads that gobble up my bees there are ants that steal their honey.

My full-size colonies seem to be strong enough to fend off most ant incursions, I have, however, decided to give extra protection to my nucs. For the nucs I built a platform about 14 inches above the ground, 8 feet long and 18 inches wide. The platform is mounted on 3 - 36 inch pipes that are attached to the bottom of the platform by flanges, the pipes are embedded in the ground for a little more than 1/2 their length. Just beneath the flanges and for about 1/2 inch I keep coated with a thick coat of petroleum jelly.

[Apis629]

Petrolium Jelly and used motor oil both work very welll at repelling ants.  You may also want to use a whole lot of cinnemon  if the ants ever get by the jelly.

[bassman1977]

Stupid question, but is that a powdered cinnamon or stick?

[amymcg]

powdered.

Go get a giant shaker of it at BJ's Sam's Club, Costco, or whatever your local friendly warehouse store is.