Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DISEASE & PEST CONTROL => Topic started by: Queen Bee on May 01, 2005, 11:40:09 am

Title: Ants, ants and more ants!!
Post by: Queen Bee on May 01, 2005, 11:40:09 am

I have 10 hives and two nucs.... 5 have ant problems...they are in the corners of the hive tops and the inner covers... They drive me crazy...I would like to know if anyone has tried the ant 'hotel' type of baits.. I thought if I took them and placed them in little cages of small wire (so the bees could not get to them) they might take care of my prolbem....What do you think...ever tried it?? Any other cures??? Thanks Debbie

Title: Ants, ants and more ants!!
Post by: crw13755 on May 01, 2005, 11:51:26 am

what about something like a small container like the sugar water or so near it so that the bees can have as a treat and direct and kill off the ants then maybe move it away from the hive to redirect the ants? Just a guess here. unless you place durazban on the ground but not sure if that is good for the bees

Title: Ants, ants and more ants!!
Post by: Miss Chick-a-BEE on May 01, 2005, 12:45:24 pm

Other people have posted here saying that different things like MINT or CINNAMON work for ants. I've used mint before in my house to keep out ants and mice, and I never saw any after using it.

Beth

Title: Ants, ants and more ants!!
Post by: crw13755 on May 01, 2005, 12:47:57 pm

good idea to plant mint then huh? and y mulipl grately as well

Title: Ants, ants and more ants!!
Post by: Horns Pure Honey on May 01, 2005, 01:25:36 pm

I heard the cinnamon works well. bye :D

Title: Ants, ants and more ants!!
Post by: Queen Bee on May 01, 2005, 11:36:48 pm

Thank you. Thank you! I had forgotten about the cinnamon, I used it several yrs ago and just haven't thought of it.. It's off to the $ store tomorrow...

Title: Ants, ants and more ants!!
Post by: Michael Bush on May 02, 2005, 10:10:35 am

I find ants living on my inner covers all the time.  The bees don't seem to care.  I don't care.  Why do you think the ants are a problem?  Bees coexsist with them all the time.

If the ants are REALLY a problem you can use cinnimon or boric acid or baking soda. to cover their trail and confuse them.  If that doesn't work you can track them back to their ant hill and kill the ant colony.

Title: Ants, ants and more ants!!
Post by: bassman1977 on June 03, 2005, 12:13:15 pm

I agree with Mr. Bush.  They shouldn't be an issue as long as you have a strong colony.  A quick story as to how I inadvertantly killed my ant invaders, a couple weeks ago I decided that I wanted to permanently kill some tall weeds and high grass near my hive, throwing excessive amounts of weed and feed around not only killed the weeds and high grass, but killed off the ants I had coming into my hive.  The bees were not affected at all.  Two problems solved.

Title: Ants, ants and more ants!!
Post by: Horns Pure Honey on June 03, 2005, 08:29:42 pm

I used the cinnamon and it cut the ants down below 1/4 the population that it was aned I didnt use that much. Gunna try more this next time I put it on.  :D