The big ants the bees can kill them , for the small ant I would sprinkle some cinnamon under the inner cover an feeder. And you can cut up catnip an sprinkle it in the same places an they will leave.
Not that big of a project. I use 4 frisbees I buy from Walmart and place one under each leg and fill with either new or used oil. Would have taken me 30 seconds if i had remembered to do that when I set up. It's a GAURENNTEE I will never forget again!!! Yes these ants are about 1/4-3/8 long. Carpenter ants they call them here in Florida. If you'll look at the first pic you can see them on the walls and those two mounds in the corner??? thats a pile of em. When I opened the hive....THOUSANDS (it seemed like..maybe about 500!) ran out and scattered. I had gone out of town for the weekend figuring they'd be fine. Not so. These ants love honey and will kill the bees to get to it. They mass invaded my hive!!!I know about the oil trick, but that would be a project so I will try the other suggestions first
It's such a slimy mess in the pan, that your okay for awhile. If the "lack of oil" in the pan gets too bad I just fill a lil more. With my cars, cycles, lawn mower and other engines....I have no lack of used oil to replenish!! I learned two things from this painful incident.What do you do when it rains for the oil?