Help...Ant attack

Apis629 · June 22, 2005, 04:58:35 PM

Just today I found my hive being invaded by thousands of sugar and fire ants. I've dumped cinemon all around the hive, on the hive and in the enterence. I've also located a few ant mounds and poisoned them with some granulated ant poison. Is there anything else that anyone would sugest to keep these annoying things away? I'm debating about spreading that lawn insect killer on my entire lawn just a few feet from the bees. Would that kill the bees too? I want to keep the bees safe not kill them and their attackers at the same time. Any advice would be apriciated.

bassman1977 · June 22, 2005, 08:09:00 PM

Sounds like you did pretty much what you could. Are you still feeding? How strong is your hive? I had ants while I was feeding and weed and feed helped kill off some of the ants (my primary goal was to kill weeds around my hive). Once I removed the feeder, I didn't have an ant problem. Yours seems worse than what I ever had and that could be the reason the bees are having a hard time fending them off. As far as insect killer in your yard, I wouldn't think that would be a problem. Like I said, I put weed and feed along my hive with no problems. Both are a poison. Insect killer usually says what insects it will affect.

Apis629 · June 22, 2005, 08:21:01 PM

To answer your questions, yes, I'm still feeding with a bucket feeder and the hive was installed from a 3 lbs. package on June 8th.

pens4cup68 · June 22, 2005, 08:35:12 PM

I think somone from the south could help a little more but I would think that it would be ok to take your feeder off by now and that they should be self-sustainable. I had my feeder on for three weeks and that was more than enough feeding for my package. I would try that and hope for the best. If you have an infestation as large as you say, that might be tough for your newly installed package to deal with.

bassman1977 · June 22, 2005, 08:37:27 PM

That was me talking up there (pens4cup68). I don't know how I got logged into that account since I don't use it.

Scooby · June 22, 2005, 08:37:31 PM

Is your hive is on a stand with four legs (or can it be placed on a four legged stand)?

If so, you could place each of the four legs in a coffee can, and put like 3 inches of used moter oil in the can, so that each table leg is sitting in the oil. The ants wont be able to cross the oil to get to the stands legs. Just be sure that the table leg doesn't touch the side of coffee can, or the ants will be able to travel uninhibited.

I used to have a very rustic cabin (ok, fine, it was more like a shed), and I'd do just that with each of my sleeping cot's legs, and it kept the creepy crawleys out of the bed. 'Course the mosquitos still ate to their hearts content! :P

Butterchurn · June 23, 2005, 12:44:05 AM

A couple of things helped me get rid of my carpenter ant problem this year.

1. I stopped feedng.

2. I put baking soda and borax in the tray of the SBB.

3. I put "Combat" bait stations around hives.

Carpenter ants gone!

More than likely stopping the feed did the most good.

Putting the hive on a stand with legs in cans of motor oil works well!

Ron

BEECANUCK · June 23, 2005, 12:53:05 AM

I'll trade your ant problem for my black bear problem.

JP · June 23, 2005, 07:10:05 AM

Nathan,
if you can't do the motor oil trick, there is a product from Nisus, called terro-pco, I think you may be able to get it from a do it your self pest control distributor, or contact nisus directly, I spoke with their entomologist already about this product, & they said it wouldn't harm the bees. The product comes in small rectangular placements, and you snip off one end, you can then place these wherever you need to. I have had very good success with sugar feeding ants with this product. For the fireants I use a product called talstar pl. It's in a sand base and is applied with a hand held broadcast spreader (you get from walmart or home depot for under 12.00) to all the lawn areas. It's generally good for three months with one application. Good luck!

JP · June 23, 2005, 07:12:00 AM

oh,& the talstar pl is made by FMC corporation.

Beecharmer · June 23, 2005, 07:30:33 PM

There is also a product called Tanglefoot that is a sticky substance you can put on the base of the hive. The ants can't get past it. You should be careful not to put on the front because the bees can get stuck on it too.

Apis629 · June 23, 2005, 08:14:52 PM

Thanks for all the replies, I guess I have to go to home depot tomarow.

Oyster · June 24, 2005, 01:45:57 PM

I use hive stands, with legs made of 2 x 4s. I dip cheap concrete bricks in used motor oil. After the oil has been soaked up, place these bricks beneath each leg. Ants won't crawl up these bricks, and the effect should last a year. Adding additional oil with an old paint brush or rag from time to time maintains the effectiveness.

Alternatively, you can use flat-bottomed containers filled with sand. Add used motor oil to soak the sand, and place the hive stand legs in the sand. Mine were effective even after heavy rains. Again, add additional oil from time to time.

beandoggle66 · June 24, 2005, 02:44:19 PM

Tanglefoot has been working real well for me.

Jerrymac · June 24, 2005, 02:45:36 PM

What does the EPA have to say about all that oil your putting into the soil?

Apis629 · June 25, 2005, 12:17:15 AM

Maybe he should use vegetable oil!

B-Hop · June 25, 2005, 04:33:26 AM

I have used borax, but they usualy dissapear when it get's hot.

Apis629 · June 25, 2005, 11:44:48 AM

...for that reason alone I probably can't use borax. The temps down here in the summer are 85-105!

Fordney Farms · June 26, 2005, 11:33:34 AM

QuoteIs your hive is on a stand with four legs (or can it be placed on a four legged stand)?

If so, you could place each of the four legs in a coffee can, and put like 3 inches of used moter oil in the can, so that each table leg is sitting in the oil. The ants wont be able to cross the oil to get to the stands legs. Just be sure that the table leg doesn't touch the side of coffee can, or the ants will be able to travel uninhibited

We had to do this and it worked great! The only thing is that when it rains, you may have to syphon some of the oil out so it doesn't overflow on the ground if you are concerned with it getting in the soil.

banjojohn · June 26, 2005, 06:16:40 PM

Lowe's has somethig call Spectracide Ant Shield. It is granuales and you sprinkle it on the ground. It is for houses but a bee friend said about a foot wide band would keep them out for a month, then you had to redo. He said it didn't harm the bees, they fly in, it was just stuff crawling over it. I bought some but I had already poured some termite/ant liquid stuff around mine, the crystalls are probably better, but that stuff didn't hurt the bees and I don't have any ants now.