# Small ants in my hives, any suggestions?



## locpic (Jan 13, 2013)

On my last inspection of my hives I discovered small black ants in two of my hives when I lifted the telescoping cover. When I applied some smoke about fifty small ants carrying eggs began to scurry out of the hive. I have heard that putting cinnamon on the inner cover will make them vacate the hive. Any body ever heard of this? Any other suggestions to keep these pest from stealing my girls honey?


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## Mavors (Mar 30, 2007)

Cinnamon can be used to repel ants, but the other question is are they inside the hive with the bees or just outside and on the inner cover? The top of the inner cover is not protected as well by the hive as under it is.
Ants are usually attracted to hives if you are feeding them sugar water. They can also invade a week hive if it has too many boxes for the population. I usually don't worry to much about ants so long as I deal with the strength of the hive. Limit entrances and boxes for week hives. This will help the hive fight off most invaders.

Another thing that can attract ants is dropping comb and honey on the ground near the hives while working them. Keep a bucket handy to discard burr comb n such while working them.

Mav


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## DarleneJ (Jan 29, 2012)

I've put indoor/outdoor ant traps at each leg of the hive stand where I see the ants crawl up. They were gone the next day.

I have also read that cinnamon is toxic to ants but not bees. I have not tried it myself.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

We buy our cinnamon by the 5 pound jug at Gordon Foods. It gets sprinkled on the hive edge and then the intercover. Rub it into weater cracks in the hive and shake some in the outer cover. Normally the ants are not in the hive on the frames they just hang around where it is warm and they can some times get a bit of honey.

I've heard that sprinkling Borax on the ground around the hives help keep ants away too. I've never tried it because of having out yards and rain causeing the stuff to be replaced a lot.

 Al


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## locpic (Jan 13, 2013)

Thanks for the input. I will try cinnamon and let you know the results once I find out how it works.


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## hiveguy (May 19, 2013)

I use an "ultimate bottom board" which can be purchased from brushy mountain, and i also buy the leg extensions for them. The extensions have a cup built into them which i fill with vegetable oil (you could put cinnamon in them instead) and it forms a ring of oil around each leg, preventing ants, shb, earwigs and other creepy crawlies from crawling up the legs. It works PERFECTLY! The ultimate bb is slick and durable overall, i would definitely recommend it. 

ultimate bottom board

plastic legs for ultimate bb


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