Ant Problem

[Caribou]

I have identified at least three different ants a small brown, a winged brown and a large black ant.  At least one and probably two are wood eaters.  My question is, how do i get rid of them without killing my bees?  I' thinking about diatomaceous earth.

[cao]

Where are the ants?  Are they bothering the bees?  I get ants between inner and outer cover.  Cinnamon sprinkled on the inner cover chases they ants away.

[BeeMaster2]

I'm in the process of building a hive stand on PVC pipes with inverted cups for putting high temp grease into to stop the ants.
Jim

[Caribou]

Both great ideas, thanks!  I need to get rid of the ants (termites) before my house has a
(ter)mite problem.

The bees are next to the house and the ants have been recently noticed on a wooden walkway.

[GSF]

I ended up having to put my hive stand legs in butter bowls filled with burnt motor oil. Nothing else worked.

[Nugget Shooter]

Same here, we used mineral oil.....

[Wombat2]

There is a garden product here called "Tanglefoot" - used around the trunks of fruit trees and the like to stop ants getting at aphids and so controls the aphids. It's a grease that is very thick and tacky and lasts quite a while in the weather - I've just started using it on the hive stand legs

[GSF]

I tried axle grease around my hive stand legs but it wasn't long before the dust or something caked the outside of it and the ants were back at it.

[BeeMaster2]

Gary,
Did you have the grease in inverted cups or just on the poles?
By chance, did the grass grow up and create laters to bypass the grease?
Jim

[GSF]

Jim, I rubbed it on the legs. Yes to the ladders. I haven't sprayed under the hives yet and when a stalk of grass shoots up and makes a connection it takes about 5 seconds for a thousand ants to get wind of it.

[Wombat2]

People probably know this but it took me a while to put 2 and 2 together and work it out. We all know a spray of soapy water kills bees well I discovered by accident it also kills ants - especially in the honey extraction area or the kitchen around food stuff where it is not conducive to using chemical sprays.

[BeeMaster2]

I will keep that in mind. Thanks.
Last Sunday I used Windex to kill a bunch of 1" long horse flies that were on my garage door window. There were 2 many to try to kill them one of at a time because when one would fly across the window it would stir them all up. Then I used a paper towel to clean the window.
It killed every one of them.
Jim

[GSF]

Windex is also good for fleas and ants.

[Wombat2]

People probably know this but it took me a while to put 2 and 2 together and work it out. We all know a spray of soapy water kills bees well I discovered by accident it also kills ants - especially in the honey extraction area or the kitchen around food stuff where it is not conducive to using chemical sprays.

My wife likes it as well because when I wipe them up with a paper towel I clean the bench as well - she says it's the closest I get to housework!