Little black ants

vabeeguy · May 14, 2006, 09:01:29 AM

I read what was posted about fire ants, but what can I do about the little black ants that have are coming into the hive from the telescoping cover after marching up the back of hive? They must think they can set up house in the gap between the inner and outer covers for they had little ant larve they were toten' up there.

amymcg · May 14, 2006, 09:18:54 AM

Try liberally sprinkling cinnamon on the inner cover and around the hives. The ants seem to not like it, the bees don't seem to mind.

I've never seen ants trying to bring larvae in. . .wow.

shado_knight · May 14, 2006, 11:04:42 AM

I had a problem with black ants getting into the hive & trying to rob the syrup. I put the hive on short pieces of pvc pipe, set in small containers of oil. The ants can't cross over the oil. Works great !

BTW I am a new beekeeper this year, so this is my first hive. I had read about this idea somewhere, and it seemed like an inexpensive, easy maintenance solution.

Brian D. Bray · May 15, 2006, 03:32:05 AM

Two of the perverbial solutions to ants have been mentioned; cinnimon and oil pools. Those little metal ant baits work too, the bees can't get to them and the ants quit coming to the hive because, like mice, they learn to avoid places that have a contaminated (deadly) food source.
Although when it comes to fire ants I have no experience as we don't have them up here in the San Juan Islands of NW Washington.

Michael Bush · May 15, 2006, 08:16:53 AM

I find cinimon to be only marginally effective. I find jelly and borax 1:1 to be VERY effective.

Apis629 · May 15, 2006, 02:33:02 PM

Most beekeepers down here have completely abandoned Telescoping outer covers and inner cover because, it would be common for ants, especially Bull Ants, to build a nest there and, soon kill the hive. Even strong hives are no match for Bull Ants. Everyone I've spoken to now uses flat tops (me included).

Brian D. Bray · May 16, 2006, 07:54:45 AM

Regional differences call for slightly different solutions. Up north over-wintering is more successful with the insulating properties of the dead air space the inner top provides. The north is less likely to experience ant problems than the south.
The jelly and borax idea sounds interesting, I'll have to try it the next time I develop an ant problem.

TwT · May 16, 2006, 09:11:53 AM

well I use strong stuff, I had fire ants covering a couple hive when I had top feeders on, I have all my hive on concrete blocks and I spray Triazicide around the bottom of the blocks and haven't had a problem with the ants or with this poison killing my bee's.... I could wipe out a hive with this stuff but I just have to be careful when using this stuff... dang fire ants everywhere around here and I got tired of Cinnamon not working and the organic way to handle ants so I went with the bad stuff......

heidip · May 16, 2006, 10:40:50 AM

what kind of jelly are you using for that jelly/borax mix?

mat · May 16, 2006, 10:45:27 AM

I use Bayer's ant killer. I sprinkle the granules arround the hives, and it works. I had ants last year and it worked. They came again this year, I used it and they are gone.

Summerbee · May 16, 2006, 11:47:50 AM

Quote from: Michael BushI find cinimon to be only marginally effective. I find jelly and borax 1:1 to be VERY effective.

How do you use the boarx w/out killing bees? In ant traps? or do you put it near the ant nest versus in the hive?

BedlamHillFarm · May 16, 2006, 11:30:36 PM

I bought some ant traps to put between the inner and outer covers, but I'm worried the bees might also be attracted to the bait. The holes in the trap certainly look big enough for the bees to enter. Is there a particular brand trap anyone can suggest? I'm going to sprinkle the Bayer product around the outside of the hives, but need to do something about the ants already taking up residence in the joinery spaces of the inner cover.

Michael Bush · May 16, 2006, 11:30:39 PM

I use the cheapest jelly I can find which is usually grape. I mix it with the borax (in the laundry department) and I try to put it on the ant hill if I can find it. But usually the ants are getting somewhere the bees can't get too,so that's a good place for the jelly. The bees haven't showed much interest in it and I've tried to put it where they won't show much interest in it.