Bees and ants 'operate in teams'

[admin]

Scientists studying swarm behaviour say bees and ants are team players - unlike other creatures that are motivated by self-interest.

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[Polyanwood]

LOL. I thought you were saying bees and ants were on the same team. My friend always has ants in his colony. He has tried everything , but they are too clever for him.

 

[Mosquito]

I used to try and stop ants going into my hives.
But now I let them.
As I have seen ant taking Varroa mites away to eat.

 

[victor meldrew]

Hi mozzie,
were the varroa dead or alive? , I know ants will drag dead ones away but if they're tackling live ones ,then way-hey, bring it on .

John

 

[Mosquito]

I don't know.
My eyes are not that good.

 

[Polyanwood]

phew, I had been waiting for you to answer that one, feeling inadequate! Even with the glasses on dead or alive would be a challenge!

 

[Geoff]

When I did a Food Safety Course the other week they said that we had to be careful about ants getting into the honey processing room because of the germs that they can carry in. So i raised the question of ants getting into the hive and whether they were raiding honey stores and possible contamination. As a result of the ensuing discussion I am going to try and keep them out. One suggestion was to stand the hive stand legs in yoghurt cartons containing engine oil - also preserves the wood as well. I am going to try and coat the base of the legs with something sticky instead.

 

[Mosquito]

I can't see ant's picking up any different germs them bees.

My 1st year I use grease over the legs.
But the ants walked over it.

 

[Jenxy]

I had a small willow tree in the garden, I put two sticky bands on the trunk, about 2 inches thick each... a lot of ants did get stuck, but then the rest of them just used the stuck ones for stepping stones. I had to get rid of the tree in the end, the nest in the roots totally undermined it and it toppled over.
I think that standing the legs of a stand in engine oil is worth a try, but the sticky tape thing doesn't work.

 

[hedgerow pete]

dont do the pot of oil thing without putting a larger one above as a rain shield first, i tried it and it does work until it becomes bridge with a leaf ect or washes out so i had a large pot as a cover and a tuna tin with the oil