Ants in the Hive

550 Views 21 Replies 14 Participants Last post by Balus Creek Bees, 5 h ago

Znoodle

Discussion Starter · 7 d ago

Hello All!

Obviously a Newbee here.

We have a yearly issue with Ants at my house. Normally I put out some Sugar mixed with Borax. For obvious reasons I'm afraid to do that so this year I grabbed an ant bait and put it on the back porch under some things to keep the dogs away from it... Today I see a dead bee by it. I'm horrified and hoping this was either a bee who died previously and I didn't notice or that she died right after consuming it? Both hives look fine right now but I moved it in between the interior and storm door... I don't mind ants but we're seeing them in the basement, 1st, and 2nd floor.

Is there something safer I can try? I worry about the dogs getting into it so normally I put it outside but after finding that bee I'm scared to have it outside!

The Ants have been stealing water and Going into the feeder in my top bar as well. Any suggestions to form a barrier that wont bother the bees but deter Ants from actually going inside the hive?

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

Gray Goose

· #2 · 7 d ago

put the poison baits under a 5 gal pail with a rock or brick on it.
the bees just need to NOT have access.
old roasting pan, wash tub, almost any thing.

GG

Reactions: 3

Charles Prestridge

· #3 · 7 d ago

www.ebay.com

Beehive/pet food Ant Barrier set of 4 Made in U.S.A. | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Beehive/pet food Ant Barrier set of 4 Made in U.S.A. at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

These are a good product I have used on some hives. The seller is a good person. He is retired and has done these types of products for a while.

Not sure how much shipping to the UK will be.

Reactions: 1

Znoodle

Discussion Starter · #4 · 7 d ago

Thanks!

chicknman9

· #5 · 7 d ago

I have my hives up on cinder blocks. I have a piece of sheet metal a little bit bigger than the cinder block. Place it on top of the cinder blocks and coat the underside with a thin layer of wheel bearing grease on just the perimeter. Put the hive on top of the sheet metal. The ants won't cross the barrier. It workes every time. I no longer have a ant problem.

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Reactions: 1

RayMarler

· #6 · 7 d ago (Edited)

I have my hives on elevated rail stands. I put bearing grease on the legs of the stands, no ant problems now. Just as @chicknman9 said, ants won't cross a grease barrier.

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Reactions: 1

charliez

· #7 · 7 d ago

Thesheet mtal trick is very similar to a termite dam that is basically a stamped sheet metal, like an updise down baking pan that you set between a ler of blocks, when building a house ona block foubndation. it's required by code in some areas. So I can see that working effectively, except for cutting pants on a corner. I beleive our local lowes has the stamped dams, yours might too. I have my bosex on blocks, that are on sheets of plywood laying on the ground. I had them extra, and so far it has helped with pests. Grease will certainly keep them away too.

Reactions: 1

sunbeam

· #8 · 7 d ago

here is old long thread on ant proof stands with many ideas on how to implement a grease barrier against ants-Charlie-stand.
My version for a warre hive made w 4x4 construction lumber and lag bolts :

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Reactions: 1

queensapiary

· #9 · 7 d ago

Whenever I have ant issues, and I have them periodically, I sprinkle Diatomaceous earth in a circle around the hive on the ground. I distribute it with a baby bottle which I flick with my finger. This is in my kit whenever I visit my bee yards.

Elevated hive stands help. Grease/oil traps I tried once but didn't like the upkeep. Eventually, they get covered in debris/dust and stop being effective. Diatomaceous earth works perfectly every time but does wash away with rain/moisture so it must be re-applied after. This works fine in the west where I am as we have a long dry season, which is typically when the ants are a problem. Might not work for you folks in wetter parts of the world

Znoodle

Discussion Starter · #10 · 7 d ago

2

Here is how the 2 are set up. Should it be okay to apply that grease to the painted wood?

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sunbeam

· #11 · 7 d ago

Znoodle said:
Here is how the 2 are set up. Should it be okay to apply that grease to the painted wood?

would not recommend applying the grease directly to these stands or hive body. I have jam jar lids on the legs for the grease.(pointing downwards). so the grease does not wash off by rain or get on your hands or clothes by contact. (hard to wash off your hands). also away from where the bees normally walk.
the Charlie ant proof stand discussion thread has many posts where beesource members have come up with innovative ways to create this grease barrier.

GregB

· #12 · 7 d ago

Znoodle said:
The Ants have been stealing water and Going into the feeder in my top bar as well. Any suggestions to form a barrier that wont bother the bees but deter Ants from actually going inside the hive?

Ignore them.

Really - will the ants make your bees go hungry and thirsty?
Not.

I don't care; I just ignore the ants - they are everywhere here. So what.
They leave in most all of my cozy, soft inner covers. So what.

The only exception is when they turn my coolers into cheese.
Then I swear.

Reactions: 1

RayMarler

· #13 · 6 d ago (Edited)

@GregB I'm glad you don't have the same kind of ants that I do. The ones I have here will over-whelm a hive if action is not taken to eradicate them. They will keep the entire colony busy trying to get rid of them, then there's no time for honey production. These ants go for protein as well as sweets, of which both are in a hive.

Reactions: 2

GregB

· #14 · 6 d ago

RayMarler said:
@GregB I'm glad you don't have the same kind of ants that I do. The ones I have here will over-whelm a hive if action is not taken to eradicate them. They will keep the entire colony busy trying to get rid of them, then there's no time for honey production. These ants go for protein as well as sweets, of which both are in a hive.

Agree that the southern locations have the fire ants and similar nasty ants.
The northern locations - we don't have fire ants.

Basically, up north - the ants are nothing but cosmetic nuisance (save for the carpenter ants that drill wood/foam).
If I worry of the cosmetic nuisances, I'd never sleep in my life.

People going "oh, horror!" in sight of tiny sugar ants - nothing but laughable.

OP - not stating the location does not help.

Znoodle

Discussion Starter · #15 · 5 d ago

I'm in Virginia if that helps. If they aren't hurting anything in the hives then I will leave them... But in my house? I set a baited trap under a bucket with a horse shoe on top. I was mainly worried the bees tried getting the bait and that this would hurt the hive. Was also trying to find a safe place for the bait where neither bees nor the dogs can get to it!

plantman

· #16 · 5 d ago

I prefer not to have a bunch of ants in my honey.
Weird I Know.....

Reactions: 2

Znoodle

Discussion Starter · #17 · 5 d ago

plantman said:
I prefer not to have a bunch of ants in my honey.
Weird I Know.....

Fair Point

TelmahQ

· #18 · 5 d ago

I’m with Greg. Ants are a fascinating eusocial species and I don’t take any action to keep them from my bee feeders. My bee yard is in an unkempt area of a conservation site, so it would be madness to try and control who comes around. Ants outweigh us by total mass on earth, so I don’t think they can really “steal” water… wouldn’t it belong to them?

Znoodle

Discussion Starter · #19 · 5 d ago

Well the bees appear to be booming upon inspection today. I guess if that bee did get into the bait it didn't make it home. The Top bare is growing well and I saw a lot less ants so I'm guessing the bees have enough population now to run them off.

Robandcindy2

· #20 · 7 h ago

Znoodle said:
Hello All!

Obviously a Newbee here.

We have a yearly issue with Ants at my house. Normally I put out some Sugar mixed with Borax. For obvious reasons I'm afraid to do that so this year I grabbed an ant bait and put it on the back porch under some things to keep the dogs away from it... Today I see a dead bee by it. I'm horrified and hoping this was either a bee who died previously and I didn't notice or that she died right after consuming it? Both hives look fine right now but I moved it in between the interior and storm door... I don't mind ants but we're seeing them in the basement, 1st, and 2nd floor.

Is there something safer I can try? I worry about the dogs getting into it so normally I put it outside but after finding that bee I'm scared to have it outside!

The Ants have been stealing water and Going into the feeder in my top bar as well. Any suggestions to form a barrier that wont bother the bees but deter Ants from actually going inside the hive?

Znoodle said:
Hello All!

Obviously a Newbee here.

We have a yearly issue with Ants at my house. Normally I put out some Sugar mixed with Borax. For obvious reasons I'm afraid to do that so this year I grabbed an ant bait and put it on the back porch under some things to keep the dogs away from it... Today I see a dead bee by it. I'm horrified and hoping this was either a bee who died previously and I didn't notice or that she died right after consuming it? Both hives look fine right now but I moved it in between the interior and storm door... I don't mind ants but we're seeing them in the basement, 1st, and 2nd floor.

Is there something safer I can try? I worry about the dogs getting into it so normally I put it outside but after finding that bee I'm scared to have it outside!

The Ants have been stealing water and Going into the feeder in my top bar as well. Any suggestions to form a barrier that wont bother the bees but deter Ants from actually going inside the hive?

We have had ants frequenting the inner cover and nesting in the lid. Go to your dollar store and buy some inexpensive cinnamon. Sprinkle it around the inside top of the inner cover. Ants hate it, girls don’t care.

1 - 20 of 22 Posts