Get Rid of Ants in Bee Hives Today. Tips and Tricks From Vegas Bees
Bees and ants have coexisted in nature for millennia, but within the confines of a managed beehive, ants can become destructive pests. As experts at exploiting resources, ants are attracted to the protein-rich brood and carbohydrate-dense honey stored within a hive.
When unchecked, invading ants can wreak havoc, threatening the health and productivity of a colony. As a beekeeper, a multi-pronged strategy is required to protect your hives from these persistent insects.
We explore proactive solutions to deter ants, as well as effective responses to ant problems if these clever insects find their way into your apiary.
I know all about ants and bees, as I have had ants on my beehives, ants in my beehives, ants trying to get into my beehives - it can be maddening! They need to be dealt with right away or they can drive the bees out of their hive.
Keeping Ants Away From Bee Hives
In regards to keeping ants away from bee hives, you must first understand what attracts them in the first place. A key enticement is the honey produced by bees.
Ants have a voracious appetite for sugary substances, and honey represents the ultimate prize.
The protein-rich bee brood also appeals to ants, providing nutrition for their developing larvae. While bees fiercely protect their colony, ants employ stealth and mass attack strategies to overwhelm hives and pilfer these nutritious resources.
Certain ant species are particularly problematic for beekeepers, including the Argentine ant, thief ant, pavement ant, and pharaoh ant.
These invasive types of ants often thrive in climates where beekeeping is common. Their resilience, adaptability, and crafty techniques allow them to circumvent even the most vigorous bee colonies.
Once ants access the interior of a hive, the results can be devastating. The structural integrity of honeycombs becomes compromised, brood is consumed, and colonies are put under severe stress.
An ant invasion can quickly spiral into a full-blown crisis within an apiary. You must get rid of ants immediately!
Implementing Preventive Measures To Keep Ants Away From Beehives
The most effective strategy to protect hives from ants is to implement rigorous preventive measures tailored to your local environment.
Here are proactive techniques to deter ants from targeting your honey bee colonies:
Elevate Hives Off the Ground
Elevating beehives off the ground on stands, cinder blocks or similar structures creates a simple physical barrier against foraging ants.
This limits their ability to access the hive entrance and discourages them from establishing trails into the hive. Just 12-24 inches of clearance can make a significant difference.
Ensure your hive stand materials are non-toxic, rot-resistant, and sturdy.
Install Beehive Ant Barriers Around Hive Legs
Further, prevent ants from climbing upwards by installing barriers around the legs of your hive stand. Strips of copper mesh are an inexpensive option that ants avoid crossing.
You can also use non-toxic petroleum jelly or grease on the legs of the hive stand as a slippery impediment. Moats of water, oil or Teflon-coated surfaces similarly obstruct ant pathways to the hive.
Maintain Vigilant Sanitation Practices
Bees eject their dead from the hive and occasionally drop honey stores. Ants are immediately drawn to such windfalls around the apiary. Stay vigilant in cleaning debris from around your hives.
Remove any dead bees, wax chunks or honey spills quickly to eliminate attractions. Keep the nearby grass short and check for ant nests in the vicinity. Trap ants gathering around hive refuse.
Employ Natural Ant Repellents
Use natural materials around your hives that deter ants but are harmless to bees. A simple approach is spreading diatomaceous earth, a soft powder that damages the exoskeleton of crawling insects.
Cinnamon also repels ants; sprinkle it around the bases of your hive stands. Strong aromas from essential oils like peppermint, tea tree and lemongrass also discourage foraging around hives.
Replenish these organic barriers periodically. These are a good and natural way to keep the ants at bay.
Set Out Repurposed Ant Traps
Traps baited with sugary substances selectively draw hungry ants but are non-threatening to bees.
You can make simple DIY traps from plastic bottles or containers filled with sweet liquid. For more elaborate traps, repurpose commercial ant baits by removing their toxic contents first.
Position these ant traps strategically around the fringes of your apiary.
Responding to Ant Invasions
If preventive measures fail and ants do infiltrate your hives, prompt action is required to avoid catastrophic losses. Here are targeted responses if faced with an ant invasion within your colony:
Remove Beehive Ants Manually
Your first response on discovering ants within a hive is to manually remove them. Use a soft brush to gently sweep invading ants off frames and out of the hive.
Avoid excessive disturbances that overly stress the colony. Remove ants promptly before they multiply and become established within the hive.
Reinforce Preventive Measures and Ant Proof Beehive Stands
With ants inside the hive, prevention measures are even more critical. Reinforce the barriers around each leg of the hive stand. In the picture, you can see the stand legs in tomato cans filled with oil and water. This is a low cost way to keep your hives ant-free.
Clear wax debris or honey spills in the apiary that may attract more ants. Refresh repellents around the hive perimeter. Setting additional ant traps around the hive can help capture sneaky ants.
Bait Invading Ants
For serious ant infestations that persist after manual removal, targeted baiting might be necessary. Place bait stations just outside hive entrances and along known ant trails into the apiary.
Look for protein-based bait gels that workers will take back to their colonies. The goal is to eliminate the central nests rather than just foraging ants.
Seek Emergency Assistance
In dire cases involving highly destructive ant species, emergency help might be needed. Contact local beekeeper associations for advice - they may offer solutions based on past experience with ant hazards in your area.
You can also consult professional pest control operators or apiary experts from agriculture extension services for emergency assistance. They can provide powerful ant baits or traps.
Relocate Hives if Necessary
As a last resort, severely infested hives may need to be relocated from a site overrun by ants. This is a tough call requiring the destruction of ant nests and intensive sanitation of the compromised apiary.
Before returning relocated hives, reassess and amend any gaps in your anti-ant barriers and prevention regimen to avoid repeating infestations.
We have had to put the hive being overrun by ants on a table with the legs in metal tomato cans filled with water and vegetable oil. This worked amazingly well for us.
If you have ants in your hive, try this method, which worked great for us. Fire ants will even get trapped in the oil, as we have seen it with our own eyes.
Summing it All Up
Ants are resourceful adversaries, but armed with the right blend of preventive measures and responsive counter-tactics, beekeepers can defend their hives.
The key is staying alert to signs of ant activity in your apiary and being prepared to take immediate action at the first hint of an invasion.
While ants are a natural component of the environment, their interactions with bees require careful management in the context of apiculture.
By maintaining your hives proactively and responding appropriately to incursions, you can achieve a balanced equilibrium where both bees and ants can thrive in their rightful spheres.
The ants may try to invade your beehives, but now you know how to battle them. It's all about getting the colony, not just the foraging ants.
Betsy and Pete
Las Vegas, Nevada
About Us: The Authors
We're Betsy and Pete, passionate Las Vegas beekeepers trained by a master in the field. With hundreds of successful bee and bee swarm removals under our belts, we're not just experts; we're enthusiasts committed to the well-being of these incredible pollinators.
We manage dozens of beehives, both natural and honey-bearing at our Joshua Tree Preserve.
Our Commitment to Excellence
Education is an ongoing journey, especially in a dynamic field such as beekeeping. That's why we continually update our knowledge base, collaborate with other experts, and stay up to date with the latest advancements in bee control methods and beekeeping practices.
We also provide top-tier beekeeping supplies, offering everything a beekeeper needs, from beginners to experts.
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