Ants in weak hive

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Newbuzz

New Bee
Joined
May 28, 2020
Messages
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Location
Germany
Hive Type
Other
I have ants crawling about over the coversheet in one corner of my hive. The colony is pretty weak and I'm waiting to see if it improves over the newt few weeks before I requeen.

What can I do about the ants. Is it possible to use the liquid poision traps - the ants carry the posision back to the nest, or is there a better alternative?
 
What can I do about the ants. Is it possible to use the liquid poision traps - the ants carry the posision back to the nest, or is there a better alternative?
Yes - leave the ants alone - they won't bother the bees
 
I've been and had an inspection and it doesnt look very good. On two frames toward the enterance there are ant eggs, I think this hive is on its way out.
The colony is looking really weak. Would it be an option to removed the offending frames and the others that have fallen out of use and put a fake back in to reduce the size. I'm looking at requeening the hive in a week or so, but in the interim would this help matters.
 
I've been and had an inspection and it doesnt look very good. On two frames toward the enterance there are ant eggs, I think this hive is on its way out.
The colony is looking really weak. Would it be an option to removed the offending frames and the others that have fallen out of use and put a fake back in to reduce the size. I'm looking at requeening the hive in a week or so, but in the interim would this help matters.
Take the good frames out with the bees and out them into a poly nuc box. Take it from there
Have you spilt any syrup by the way?
 
Take the good frames out with the bees and out them into a poly nuc box. Take it from there
Have you spilt any syrup by the way?
:iagree: I think your problem is a failing colony rather than the ants.
 
I think its failing, it was never the best to begin with. Last year started this hive from an existing to try and prevent it swarming, but it never really grew as I expected through the summer.
 
I think its failing, it was never the best to begin with. Last year started this hive from an existing to try and prevent it swarming, but it never really grew as I expected through the summer.
I would be checking for nosema as well. Just in case. No point putting a new queen into a diseased colony
 
Ants are the dominant insect in Aus. and only once have I seen them drive bees out, and that was from a apidea when they discovered the sugar syrup and overwhelmed the bees in just a few hours. The bees were driven away but given there were only a cup and a half of bees but thousands and thousands of desperate ants, it was understandable. Bees detest ants with them in the hive, and as above from Dani, if you substantially reduce the size of the box, they should do better ..waiting for the new queen.
 
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