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I am nearly finished with my TBH and know from experience with my hummingbird feeders that ants are a big problem durring summer.
I am open to trying different ideas. My hive has 2x4 legs and Phils idea about adding an extra section on the bottom.As such can't stand legs in liquid
Kinda funny, ants have seemed to be a common subject on the forum lately. Cinnamon is a good deterrant for ants.
I have Shepards' poles for my HB feeders. I use an auto motive grease gun to squirt a bead of the grease around the pole. Then spread it out. Lasts maybe a week depending. Then you can re spread it a few times to re activate it. Perhaps a leg adaptation to accommodate the grease. Petroleum jelly works as well. 2 cnts
Rick
Jayoung, cinnamon! I will try that. How much and how often. Don't want to use anything would be bad for my bees.
What kind of ants? I tried cinnamon, didn't do squat. Diatamaceous earth, didn't do much either. High temp grease around the legs seems to be the standard approach.
Wont the bees get into the grease and get it into the hive? Sorry for seeming dumb but am newbie.
Bees have never bothered the grease on the shepards pole. Lots of them going after the HB syrup during the dearth. Can't see why being on the hive legs would be different. Cinnamon, I've used, it is rather short term. You would be out there every day. IME, some ants do not seem to be bothered by it. Haven't seen any take a liking to grease LOL
Sometimes a good approach is to eliminate what the ants are after if possible. I had them setting up residence in the space between the metal and the wood on my hive tops. Probably wasn't a threat to the bees but it bothered me. I replaced those tops with plain wood and no metal cover. Just my way of solving that issue :) Might not be yours. I had them entering the hive entrance. (wide open) I reduced the entrance. The guard bees did a much better job on a smaller area to patrol. 2 cnts
Rick
No problem muddymom, the bees shouldn't be crawling on the stand legs. Cinnamon extract worked a little better, but still lasted about 4 days and it was pricey, but smelled good. A good borax baited sugar syrup will reduce the ant population over time, but you need to screen it from the bees.
Tractor greese. Just about 4-5" from the bottom (or anywhere higher), take tractor (or car) greese and make a line around the leg of your hive.... It will be years before the greese will go away and ants and other bugs will not cross it.......
You could also try this:
http://youtu.be/s9SMrkQYfV4
:D