Hi Robert, [Teresa],
 
You wrote:
 
> Hi, does anyone know of a good non chemical way of keeping out them
> stinking little ants?
 
Layne Westover mentioned possibly putting your hive on a stand with
legs, and then either setting the legs in sand canisters soaked in
used motor oil, or applying Tanglefoot to the legs.
 
I've used Tanglefoot before (albeit not on hives), and in my opinion,
it works *very* well.  You generally only have to reapply once or
twice a season, and I've yet to see any critter that's willing to even
attempt to cross that barrier.  (I have a suspicion that part of
Tanglefoot's effectiveness comes from exploiting evolved behavior on
the part of insects to avoid attempting to cross areas of sticky gunk
(i.e., sap) on trees.  But as far as I know, that's just a pet theory
of mine.)
 
I'd also feel a lot better about using Tanglefoot than used motor oil,
because used motor oil is nasty stuff.  Not only is it toxic, but it's
carcinogenic as well.  In contrast, Tanglefoot consists of "castor
oil, natural gum, resins, and vegetable wax."  Not anything you'd want
you or any other mammals to eat, of course, but certainly less toxic
than used motor oil.
 
Regards,
James