# Ant invasion!



## suzyq (Jun 30, 2014)

I use cinnamon and it works really well for me for black ants. After a good rain I always make sure I put more cinnamon around the hive. At Walmart you can get a decent size container pretty cheap.


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## bjverano (Jun 18, 2014)

That's good news- I was hoping it would work. It smells good too! Thanks for the info!


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## jadebees (May 9, 2013)

If you can make a large size landing pad out of 1/8" hardware cloth, not touching the ground, you can put diatomacious earth in a ring around the hive. Except for the entry area bees seldom go around the back or sides on the ground. Especially if the landing pad is large. I have done this with insecticide, not just D E, for especially troublesome ant species with no noticeable harm to the bees. Only below a hive stand, though. Some of the ants here will drive a colony from its hive. Its a necessary extreme for some ants.


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## bjverano (Jun 18, 2014)

I put D E around the hive this spring but think we've had so much rain that I need to reapply it. We've had rain at least 5 days a week. I have been sprinkling cinnamon after each rain. The ants got to my other Warre but I got to them right away. I also smeared Crisco shortening aroun the seam of the hive bodies. Seems to be working. Have to monitor daily. 
Thanks for the tip.


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## jadebees (May 9, 2013)

I used to keep Tanzanian Topbar hives. Like a KTBH, but straight sided, sized for Lang frames. I used on the legs a mix of automotive grease, used motor oil, and a large portion of insecticide. I made a brushable mix and painted a band on each leg. Just paint it on weekly. Your bees don't hang out on the hive legs. This works excellently. But you need legs. A legged hive stand works too. Or bricks below the hive would work too. A really oversized landing pad is needed to keep them out of it. But thats easy to do. I staple on a shelf of 1/8" hardware cloth.I have gone thru hell with one native ant specie here and this was the solution. Maybe one of these may help you too. An inner cover feeder, the "jar" feeder, will help too. Its darned hard for the ants to rob thru the entire cluster. That works on robber bees too, BTW. Good luck!


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## bjverano (Jun 18, 2014)

That grease and oil mixture with the pesticide would probl be ok for my concrete block stand. The blocks are 2 high I could paint a strip across the bottom. Sounds like a good idea






. I attached a pic of the year old hive. Not sure if I did it right or not. They got raided by ants first. 
I checked today and the ants definitely don't like the Crisco. These bees were caught in a swarm trap 1 week ago and they have 5 combs built already. I put a feeder in the yard sitting on an upside down planter. They love it and it keeps from attracting ants into the hive. Probl won't need it long though- will quit feeding as soon as this ridiculous rain stops. 
I appreciate all the good advice.


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