[junglebee]

I've noticed the beginnings of a termite invasion in one of my hives.
It's only a few days old but already the termites are in the board joints of the hive.
I see there coming from the ground, up the cinder block, and onto the stand.

Can anyone tell me what I can use to kill the ones already munching on the box?
Burnt motor oil will probably do it for the ground and cinder block but I'm not sure about slathering oil on the hive box itself.
Thanks for your wisdom!

 

[mike haney]

cut the tunnel from the ground and if any are in the wood they wont be able to return to the nest and will die- if you keep the tunnel cut. if you kill the nest, thats that.
good luck,mike

 

[G3farms]

Put a piece of sheet metal between the wood and the cinder block, let it hang off of the sides of the block so they can not build their mud tunnels around the edges. Oil on the boxes will not hurt them, just make them look ugly.

 

[junglebee]

Thanks guys! These are really better ideas than the local oil remedy, in retrospect theres already enough oil in the gulf.
Will the bees kill the termites if they become to prevalent?

 

[G3farms]

They will not kill them, but instead use propolis to plug the holes in the wood. I had to do a hive cut out this spring from a swarm that had moved into empty wooden ware and the ants and termites had destroyed it over time. Propolis was the only thing holding it together.