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Ant Issues

5K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  slwethrs 
#1 ·
We're still capturing swarms and performing extractions. (If its us or raid, we'll collect them even this late in the season). When I box a small colony, I give them a brood board with honey and brood to get started. But until they're settled in their new home, they seem to be unable to defend against ants.

I stopped using sidefeeders (I've renamed them Ant magnets) and went to entryway feeders, but the ants simply shifted their attetion to the comb. I built a platform with 4X4 legs and put tanglefoot around them , but the ants just keep sending troops until they can just walk over their dead to get to the box. I placed ant traps that have helped a little, but I want them all dead. I don't want to use powder that can be tracked into the hive and kill off my bees or contaminate their honey.

Is there anything on the market for this? A home remedy? Any ideas would be appreciated.
 
#4 ·
I had good luck tanking out several colonies of Florida Carpenter Ants
recently with Diatomaceous Earth. They have been giving 10 new packages
heck this summer. After sprinkling ‘DE’ on the areas they were coming and
going out of the ground their numbers have been greatly reduced. Also my Bees
do not seem as agitated and are not patrolling the outside of the hive as they were
before.
 
#5 ·
Myron, I'll give that a shot and let me know how it goes for you.

Steve, We used the diamatatious earth on one of our hives to see how it would do. The ants stopped for about a day and a half with the initial application. The only thing that concerned me was that the ants that actually made it through would take it into the box. Maybe thats not a big deal, I read that the only way it would harm the bees is if it was airborne. If the cinnamon works and doesnt flavor my honey, this may be the answer. Thanks for the info.
 
#9 ·
When I first got to the problem hive today I sprinkeled diamatatious earth around it on the ground. I then pulled the telescopeing cover and checked the inner cover, I did see 3 ants still alive but the count has dropped dramaticly. I had put a cover over the hole in the inner cover and put diamatatious earth on the outedge of the inner cover previously. I put the ground cinnamon on my last trip. It looks like one of those treatments might be working. I will keep checking for ants in this hive.

I did a vac sample of this colony to check, it looked to me like there were 2 varroa mites in the 50 bee sample. When someone with good eyes looks we will get an official verdict.
 
#12 ·
I am having ant issues this summer also and I tried the cinnamon. It worked great for me. Must be reapplied when it gets wet from rain or dew. But it really prevented ants from crossing barrier. It did not seem to take a very thick layer either. Just sprinkled around the concrete blocks my hive is sitting on and very few ants found their way to the hive. I think they found a spot I missed with cinnamon.

I have not tried the grease application-and it may be more practicle because it will not disentigrate with moisture. I have read somewhere else that works too.
 
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