Ants are considered beneficial insects, as they are forest orderlies, destroying pests and collecting various debris, thereby cleaning the earth and preventing the spread of diseases. However, if ants take up residence in hives or in their immediate vicinity, they can become a serious threat to the well-being of bee colonies. It is necessary to thoroughly understand how to quickly get rid of ants in an apiary if they begin to harm the bees.
The danger of ants to bees
Different types of ants can harm bee colonies: red forest ants, large black garden ants and small house ants. They all have the same attitude towards choosing a habitat. This should be an area protected from precipitation, warm, with a soft base and close to a power source. Beehives fit this description perfectly.
If ants decide to settle next to bees, they will turn out to be very unpleasant and unwanted tenants. In addition to the fact that they can compete with honey bees, ants love honey, can eat reserves and do not disdain bee brood. All this can cause serious damage to the family, even if the ants do not bring a dangerous infection to the hive. Unfortunately, they are carriers of diseases that can infect bees and cause the destruction of an entire swarm and even a complete apiary.
What types of ants may appear
All types of ants that are common in the area can live in hives. These can be garden, forest, and domestic insects. Although they may be considered beneficial in nature, once they enter hives they become dangerous pests that must be dealt with urgently.
Reasons for appearance
An apiary attracts ants due to the combination of its convenient location, the provision of a comfortable place to live, and the availability of food. From orderlies, they turn into predators, as the bees find themselves practically defenseless against hordes of greedy invaders.
Ants are actively settling in hives, displacing bees, and also attack honeycombs. They are very attracted to the sweet contents, so if the insects multiply too actively, they may begin to compete with the bees for food, and will also cause the death of the bee colony.
Ants do not disdain the offspring of bees, which are in the honeycombs. By eating brood, ants lead to a decrease in the number of young bees, which also causes the extinction of the hive population.
It is the profitability of life in the apiary that attracts ants and becomes a cause for concern for hive owners.
How to get rid of pests
Bees try to get rid of harmful settlers on their own, but if there are a large number of enemies, they may not be able to cope with them on their own. Beekeepers will have to help destroy the ants.
The most radical method is the use of pesticides. However, substances that are toxic to ants are also dangerous to bees, so this method can only be used if the apiary is taken to a “clean” place during treatment. But, if the hives are already infested with ants, you will have to use other methods of influencing harmful insects.
Hive processing
Effective ant control begins with treating the legs of the hive. This is a natural way for insects to enter the bee house. This can be prevented by applying the following substances to the legs:
- Solid oil or any other sticky and viscous fuels and lubricants. The insects try to climb up the legs and get stuck in the composition.
- Vegetable oil. It is applied liberally to the legs.
- Double-sided sticky tape. By wrapping the legs with them, you can create a reliable trap for ants that will stick to the tape.
- Polyethylene film. Pests cannot gain a foothold on it and slide to the ground.
- Natural or faux fur. The smell and texture of the fur are unpleasant to insects, and they avoid it.
- Cotton wool or cotton wool soaked in kerosene.Such materials are also unpleasant for ants, but they will have to be changed quite often.
- Sintepon and other porous materials. They act similarly to wrapping with cotton wool.
- Special metal sockets. These are traps for pests from which they cannot escape on their own.
A special feature of hive protection is that most protective materials will have to be periodically replaced or reapplied. But with due persistence, it is possible to drive away the ants. After a dozen insects die, the rest, as a rule, retreat. This is due to the fact that these are social insects that have signs of a single mind. Having received information from their dying brothers, they try not to repeat their mistakes.
How to treat the area around the hive
It is also advisable to treat the area around the hive with products that are harmless to bees, but unpleasant or fatal to ants. You can use regular table salt for this. It is scattered on the paths made by ants. They do not like powdery substances that are loose and caustic to them. For the same purpose, you can use dry mustard powder, wood ash and ground sulfur. Ants will not be able to walk through an area covered with a dusty product, and sulfur can generally kill them.
What plants to plant for protection
Ants have a negative attitude towards the smell of tomato tops, garlic and onions, so you can plant turnips and tomatoes between the hives. You can also place cut leaves and feathers in hives, placing them near the legs and entrances.
Creeping pests do not like bird cherry, parsley and mint, so these plants can be planted in close proximity to the apiary and individual bee houses. Cinnamon also seems equally unpleasant to ants, so you can sprinkle it on the holes in the hive or put sticks or pieces of cinnamon at its legs.
Mowing the grass
Ants use any plants as springboards to enter hives. Even fairly long blades of grass can help them with this, so it is highly advisable to mow the area around the hives and the entire area of the apiary. Since grass and small shrubs grow constantly, you will have to pay attention and time to regularly destroy tall vegetation.
Prevention
Preventing an ant infestation is much easier than getting rid of them later. To do this, it is necessary to regularly inspect not only the hives themselves, but also the surrounding area. If an anthill is identified, it will have to be destroyed and then poured with boiling water. This cruelty is justified by the fact that otherwise the ants will cause serious damage to the apiary, and the number of honey bees is already under threat throughout the world.
It is equally important to keep the hives perfectly clean, periodically disinfect them, and also remove vegetation around them. You can surround the apiary with a small moat of water or make a circle of salt - insects really don’t like it.
