Ants

Alaska Al · May 27, 2010, 04:00:01 AM

How do I keep ants off my hive?

wd · May 27, 2010, 04:44:27 AM

Sugar attracts ants. Do you have it inside? With a few hives one could keep them on blocks in a pan or pans filled with something like used motor oil keeping the grass and weeds away from the hive. Ants will climb those. I had one I kept that way for a few years though I'm not having that problem now, I couldn't see doing this with several hives. There are different methods, maybe others will help out some answers.

indypartridge · May 27, 2010, 08:09:26 AM

It's typical for beekeepers to be plagued with ants. I've had more ants this year than ever. I bought a big bottle of cheap cinnamon at Sam's Club and sprinkle it liberally on the inner cover. It helps some, but not nearly as much as I had hoped.

I just read that Queen Anne's Lace (wild carrot) is a natural deterrent. I'm gonna give that a try.

Vibe · May 27, 2010, 11:29:59 AM

I put my hives on short legs, and stand them in "cups" made from aluminum can ore aluminum bottle bottoms. Wedding tins would work as well. I keep a bit of transmission fluid in the cups. These little motes have discouraged the ants for the most part. But my hives sit on a table of sorts which is above grass level too.

TheMasonicHive · May 27, 2010, 01:26:02 PM

Putting the cinnamon on the inner cover doesn't seem like it would solve the problem.

The way I think I remember hearing to get rid of ants is to sprinkle the cinnamon liberally around the hive itself or do the same thing with 20 Mule Team Borax. The Borax will get on the ants and wont kill them, but since they will have it on them, they'll feed it to their larva and die off.

Its a longer term solution that I hear works very well and stops the problem at its source.

Vibe · May 27, 2010, 02:34:37 PM

Quote from: TheMasonicHive on May 27, 2010, 01:26:02 PM
The way I think I remember hearing to get rid of ants is to sprinkle the cinnamon liberally around the hive itself or do the same thing with 20 Mule Team Borax. The Borax will get on the ants and wont kill them, but since they will have it on them, they'll feed it to their larva and die off.

Its a longer term solution that I hear works very well and stops the problem at its source.

Boric acid is bad for any insect, so be aware that you might want to keep the bees from getting into it. I have used it to kill ants by mixing it (I used the product Roach Pruf - which almost 100% boric acid) with sugar. I'm thinking it would work even better as a syrup though. Again - do not put this out in a way that the bees can get to it.

qa33010 · May 27, 2010, 03:59:39 PM

I still use FGMO that I get from where ever they have mineral oil. I smear it around the base of the hives where the ants may have access and it works for me. If I miss a spot I can easily see it with the ant column. Hard rain will wash it away and if I apply it to an unsealed surface it will soak right into the wood (which I learned with our mail box).

caticind · May 27, 2010, 05:23:08 PM

Agreed, do NOT put borax out near a hive unless the container is inaccessible to bees. :shock: Borax kills ants by desiccation and will do the same to bees!

I have heard that large amounts of cinnamon may repel ants...and you might be able to stop them climbing the hive by setting it on a stand with the legs in containers of water or oil...but if you are feeding sugar you will probably have ants.

Are the ants living in the hive and nest-building? Or are these just tiny "sugar ants" wandering in for a snack? If the latter, unless they are taking significant amounts of bee feed I would ignore them as they are unlikely to bother the bees.

Bee Happy · May 27, 2010, 05:59:07 PM

Quote from: TheMasonicHive on May 27, 2010, 01:26:02 PM
Putting the cinnamon on the inner cover doesn't seem like it would solve the problem.

The way I think I remember hearing to get rid of ants is to sprinkle the cinnamon liberally around the hive itself or do the same thing with 20 Mule Team Borax. The Borax will get on the ants and wont kill them, but since they will have it on them, they'll feed it to their larva and die off.

Its a longer term solution that I hear works very well and stops the problem at its source.

I've had pretty good luck with it - it messes up their scent tracking ability. I sprinkle it somewhat generously in the inner cover and on the hive stand, but I leave the nests on the ground; they clean up any dead bees and attackers. I can't prove it but I think they (fire ants) will eat any SHB larvae from survivors that 'go to ground' to mature. I figure if I can keep them out of the main hive they can be of good service to the bees without having to use chemicals. I was previously of the opinion that all fire ants should be annihilated since they are a non-native species; it's really unlikely a way to do that will ever come along, so if I can make them be useful, I'll consider that a decent truce.

wd · May 27, 2010, 06:34:43 PM

Found two of these at a yard sale about 12 years ago. picked them for a different purpose.

I did have a few hives destroyed by tiny black ants. so I tried this filled used motor oil. The pan was set on short 4x4's. As I mentioned it was used for one hive and at the moment I'm not having ant problems.

meade kampe · May 28, 2010, 12:53:50 AM

I am getting little black ants around my hives. I would like to set the hives in used motor oil. How/when do I go about doing this? Since the hives are new, they are lighter now, but I do not want to disturb their productivity!

wd · May 28, 2010, 01:17:25 AM

well, doesn't matter when to me, I had a prefab screen bottom board on this one and a bottom board under that using hive staples to attach both to the box. I simply set the hive aside with the bees in it. Then set up the pan in the same spot they were in and placed the box, bees and all on it. This hive was a first year 3 pound package. The materials used were placed next the hive first, took all of 5 minutes or so.

harvey · May 28, 2010, 10:30:12 AM

I use a solid 2x6 base that I have built to set hives on. To keep ants out of the hive I use a grease gun and make a small line of grease all around the base. The ants will not cross it. Works very well.

wd · May 28, 2010, 11:03:28 AM

it's nice to see what others do

for me, between ants, birds, a silver dollar sized spider, the cat and the dog, I'm surprised this particular colony stuck around .. my dog would sniff and bark, the cat sat on top of the hive and at the entrance batting bees. didn't last but a few weeks with the dog and cat..