Red Ant Attack this summer

[MuswellMetro]

this year, an old hive i was going to take over was overcome by Red Ants

the hive was up on bricks and the ants got everywhere, by the time i return the next weekend and put the hive stand under it and four margerine tubs filled with water for the legs, they hive was very low on bees but was queen right

two week later the hive was dead, the ants had bridged margerine tub water barrier becuase aleaf had fallen in the tub ( a leaf and lot of dead ants) and the hive was attacked also by wasps

So what else could i have done to stop the ants?

a beek suggest cooking oil instead of water,

 

[Frisbee]

I had a few ants getting into mine in the summer and I sprinkled ant powder round the legs, there are several sprays and such available, bearing in mind they are insect killers, but no self respecting honey bee should be hanging round the hive stand legs anyway.

It stopped the ants. As I didn't have many it didn't take much to stop them, but being powder it would need to be regularly renewed

Frisbee

 

[oliver90owner]

You just need to be a bit careful with insecticide powders, that can be transferrred into the hive by the incoming ants. The system works well for killing wasp nests etc - just keep 'feeding' them with powder which they 'walk' into the nest.....

Probably sub-lethal in a case like this, but, never-the-less contamination

Regards, RAB

 

[steve1958]

I ended up putting 'glue bands' around the legs of my hive stand.
The same ones I had used on my fruit trees in the past.
Did the trick

 

[peteinwilts]

i use concrete water sealent on the wooden legs of the stand and painted the bottom half of the legs with anti-burglar paint.

... you don't want to get it on your bee suit though!