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Author Topic: top feeders and sugar ants  (Read 3209 times)

Offline crispy

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top feeders and sugar ants
« on: September 29, 2020, 03:02:57 am »
Hi all well at the moment i am feeding my bees sugar syrup via a top feederas told by the breeder contray to a apiarist of 46 years who said i shouldnt need to feed them anything at this time of year  , i thought it would be a great idea until i opened it, there were literally hundreds of drowned sugar ants in the tray .So i thought off to internet land and find a solution ,well the come in all shapes and forms from dimatasious earth ,to axle grease on the legs ,so far i have tried the earth method ,big fail as it rained and the earth turned to mush and the ants just laughed and walked over it , so then i tried grease ,big fail ants just walked over it again laughing and giving me the bird as they marched into the feeder for a meal ,next trick is cinamon if that doesnt work i am thinking of getting some in hive feeders as these ants are driving me nuts detergent stops them for a while but when it dries they just continue on anyone have any  suggestions ? 

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: top feeders and sugar ants
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2020, 08:20:25 am »
Try Terro  Ant bait. It comes in many dispensers. Get the one that has a plastic cup over a green base with two stakes to hold it in place. This dispenser does not allow the bees to get into it. Put it on the ground on the ant trail. It feeds the ants who feed the queen ant and kills her.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: top feeders and sugar ants
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2020, 08:25:05 am »
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline crispy

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Re: top feeders and sugar ants
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2020, 11:41:19 pm »
Hi jim i am thinking about going for the in hive feeders it might sound silly but i am concerned that maybe a infected ant could go int the feeder and fall in probably a log shot but that  is my thinking but its driving me nuts .

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: top feeders and sugar ants
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2020, 12:27:37 am »
Jim I used Terro just this past week as advice taken from you last year. I remembered what you said about Terro as Carpenter Ants recently became my problem; Terro did the job. Thanks for your recommendation.

2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline crispy

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Re: top feeders and sugar ants
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2020, 02:49:25 am »
Hi jim i took the top feeder right of today and put the bait down for the ants they werent as bad as i thought they would be in the feeder so some of my effort must have worked .I will put the feeder back tommorow as it is going to be dreadfull weather on saturday and i wont be opening the hive at all for the next few days at least after friday .

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: top feeders and sugar ants
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2020, 08:46:27 am »
My barn cats?s feed bowl was covered in carpenter ants yesterday. I moved one of those bait traps from my bee shed to right next to the cat bowl. Last night I checked on it and there were no more ants. 🤗
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline crispy

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Re: top feeders and sugar ants
« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2020, 08:10:12 pm »
Hi all well yesterday i bought a man lake hive feeder and fitted it in hope this may curb my little ant friends activity had to remove a frame which really had nothing on it anyway so now im running 8 frames in a 10 frame hive ill change the syrup on tuesday and see if any ants have gotton in . 

Offline bjay

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Re: top feeders and sugar ants
« Reply #8 on: October 05, 2020, 03:49:41 am »

 Hi Crispy
  I wouldnt use ant dust or ant poison around the bees , Dont ask me how i know I killed about 50 % of one of my hives very sad day indeed
 That was with ant dust outside the hive for sugar ants not a lot either , That hive is my best hive now, So be very careful
 Bees are related to ants just sayin  ,I logged on just to tell you that hehe

B

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: top feeders and sugar ants
« Reply #9 on: October 05, 2020, 07:16:06 am »
Bjay,
Welcome to Beemaster.
Anything we use against the ants has to bee restricted so that only the ants can get to it.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline crispy

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Re: top feeders and sugar ants
« Reply #10 on: October 06, 2020, 10:46:37 am »
The baits i am using are an enclosed type and are at the ants exit hole they are a fair way frome the hive and also at the back of it bees dont even seem to notice it , when i drained the in hive feeder today for a syrup change there were no ants inside or on the hive as when i was using the top feeder so i am hoping i have sorted the problem .

Offline Honeyeater

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Re: top feeders and sugar ants
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2020, 09:09:43 am »
I use axle grease on the hive stand as advised by a beekeeper. It takes care of the ants pretty well and only needs to be re-applied every few months.

But I was wondering whether it is a double edge sword: any nurse bees that I shake and fall out of the box (may also be the queen if I'm clumsy) won't be able to climb back into the hive. AFAIK nurse bees can't fly well yet.

Offline crispy

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Re: top feeders and sugar ants
« Reply #12 on: October 20, 2020, 06:57:45 pm »
Just to add to this post i have had a in hive feeder for about 2 weeks now just removed on saturday ,the baits i used have worked as there have been no ants at all in the hive as winter approaches next year i will use the top feeder again and see what happens .