Ants

[bwalden234]

So my daughter and I open up the hive the other day and there 100's maybe 100's of ants all massed together on the top bars....I tried the cinnamon to no effect can I try the sugar and borax thing on the ground around the hive or will the bees pick it up? Any and all suggestions are welcome, Thanks.

[BearHill]

There was a discussion about this at the local beekeepers' meeting a week ago. One beek said Tanglefoot works well. You'd apply it around the base of a hive stand to keep the ants from crawling up. Can't vouch for it myself, but here's a link that might be helpful.
http://buzzinthedale.blogspot.com/20...ant-paste.html

[Adam Foster Collins]

cinnamon - to NO EFFECT?

How much did you use?

I find that interesting, as I have cinnamon/vaseline on the legs of my hive stand and it has virtually eliminated any ant traffic - and there are TONS of them around the base. But I have seen them get to the edge of that cinnamon and turn right around.

puzzling. Good luck!

[honeybeekeeper]

But i also read a thread that a person used tanglefoot and the next day seen alot of dead bees stuck to the tanglefoot! I use DE which is organic!

[Lauren]

I DE safe for bees? I thought that it got into their joints and tore them up like the other insects.

I have TONS of it left over from when I went crazy thinking it would solve my flea problem..... It did ok on killing fleas and pretty good at doing in my vaccume!

I would love to have a legitimate reason for having 75 lbs of the stuff!

[honeybeekeeper]

If you dont want it i will be glad to take it off your hands!...HAHAHA

[Lauren]

If you dont want it i will be glad to take it off your hands!...HAHAHA

Ok, Ok, so I guess it IS safe! Do you just put it around the feet ? Really though, if you need some.... I can definitely hook you up!

[Zip]

I had a lot of big black ants (carpenter ants I think) under my top cover on top of the top bars two weeks after I installed my package.

A week later I went back, no ants at all. The bees were much more active also. I wonder if they went in and evicted them.

Since then, no ants even though there is a pretty good size carpenter ant colony 20 ft away.

[bwalden234]

I tried the cinamon used about 1/2 the bottle and it worked for a short time...I may try the DE if I can find it local. But will the powdered sugar and borax work if I sprinkle it on the ground around the base of the hive?

[honeybeekeeper]

Yes Lauren you just make a mount either around your legs of your hive or if you have blocks, mount it all around your hive....I didnt put as much in the front of my hives. I just put it around the sides and the back. Along the back at the ends i went out about 10 feet on both ends like a reenforcement barrier! I still used ground cinnamin on top of the inner cover! I do not have a ant problem anymore!...I seen results within 3 days with each day having alot of improvements!