On Mon, 10 Jul 1995, Paul Madden wrote:
 
> I am having a problem with ants colonizing between the inner
> cover and the telescoping cover. I've been controlling (?) the
> ants by removing both covers and replacing them with "clean"
> ones, but I'm wondering if there's any good way to control them
> that's more permanent. For one thing these (red/black) ants sting,
> and they hurt.  They also get all over everything, and drive the
> bees nuts when they fall down into the hive.
 
We use an ant poison based on Diazanon (sp?).  It's actually a granular
maggot/grub killer that comes in a shaker at your local hardware store
for about $8.
 
Just sprinkle a little of this around the hive or under it and the ant
problem disappears.  Be careful not to get it in the hive.  That's why we
use the granlar - wind doesn't blow it onto the doorstep.
 
You can also use the liquid types based on borax, but I'm afraid that
bees might rob it because it is sweet.
 
You can also use 1/3 washing borax and two thirds icing sugar to make an
ant killer, but you have to be sure your bees don't pick it up.  Place it
in a place the bees can't get into like between two close spaced pieces of
plywood or such.
 
Allen
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                        VE6CFK
Rural Route One   Swalwell   Alberta   Canada  T0M 1Y0
Email:   [log in to unmask]    or   [log in to unmask]
Futures, Art & Honey:http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka