The hard fight against ants in the apiary: a tactical guide
The industriousness and coherence of the work of bees can be envied. Families of these insects act as a single organism and perform an enormous amount of work every day. But, even bees have serious competitors in terms of working capacity. We are talking about ants, which are the sworn enemies of bees and dangerous pests in apiaries.
Content
Why do ants get into hives
The reason for this is the famous love of ants for sweets and their main goal is honey.. There are also several secondary factors that attract these tiny thieves to the apiary:
- many weeds and shrubs in the area around the hives;
- cracks in the walls of the hives;
- rotten stumps or logs located next to the apiary;
- pieces of honeycombs scattered near the beehives.
Why don't bees defend the hive?
Despite the hostile relationship, ants and bees are close relatives and are included in the same suborder of insects - stalked belly. Both ants and bees are social insects that live in large families.. Within each family there is a strict way of life and distribution of responsibilities, and communication between insects occurs primarily due to special pheromones.
The composition of bee and ant pheromones is very similar, and therefore bees sometimes simply do not realize what is really happening.
A whole group of ants can easily get inside the hive for the purpose of robbery, while the bees will think that it is their hardworking brothers who are in a hurry to replenish their nectar reserves.
What harm do ants do to bee colonies
Ants love not only sweets.
Many species are predators and eat other small insects. Therefore, bee houses for ants are something like a buffet.
Once inside, they not only rob the poor bees, but also destroy the inhabitants of the hive. A large colony of ants can cause serious problems, as they:
- destroy eggs, larvae and even adults of the bee family;
- they can take up to 1 kg of honey from the hive within one day;
- spread diseases dangerous to bees;
- litter the honey and the hive with the products of their vital activity.
But many forest species, on the contrary, are beneficial. A small number of individuals climbing into the hive help to clear it of dead bees.
How to get rid of ants in a hive
Fighting ants near the apiary is not an easy task. The main problem is that both groups of insects are included in the same suborder, and therefore almost all substances act on them in the same way. For this reason, both chemicals and folk remedies must be used very carefully.
Chemicals
The use of insecticides is the most effective method of controlling unwanted insects, but the use of these drugs near the hives can be dangerous for the bees themselves. Chemicals are commonly used to attack ant nests or trails leading to apiaries. These are considered the most popular insecticides among beekeepers.
Traditional recipes
Folk remedies are no less effective and much safer than chemicals, but they should also be used with extreme caution so as not to disturb the bee colony.
| Yeast and boric acid baits | To prepare, mix 1 tbsp. l. dry yeast, 5 g of boric acid and 1 tbsp. l. jam. The resulting mixture should be spread out in small bowls and left near anthills and ant trails. |
| Onion | The pungent smell of onions can repel pests. To do this, it is enough to finely chop several large onions and spread them in places where ants accumulate and next to the hives. |
| Salt or Ash | Ants prefer not to come into contact with these two products, so if you pour paths around the hives from salt or ash, then soon the insects will leave in search of easier prey. |
| Strong smelling plants | These pests are unpleasant not only for the strong smell of onions, but also for the bright aromas of many other plants. If you spread green sprigs of wormwood, mint or tomato leaves inside the hive, then the insects will leave it as soon as possible. |
Prevention of the appearance of ants in the apiary
Preventing the appearance of pests on the site is always easier, moreover, this approach can save a huge amount of effort, time and money. In order for the ants not to choose the site on which the apiary is located, it is enough to follow a few useful recommendations:
- eliminate all anthills within a radius of 80-120 meters from the hives;
- get rid of all old stumps and rotten wood on the site;
- timely eliminate all the cracks in the hives;
- periodically lubricate the legs of the hives with grease;
- do not leave the remains of honeycombs on the site, as they can attract pests;
- surround the apiary with a small moat of water, which will provide a source of water for the bees and an impenetrable barrier for the ants.
Conclusion
The consequences of an ant invasion can be catastrophic for both bees and beekeepers, and there are many cases among the people when pests destroyed a huge number of bees. Therefore, it is very important to provide honey insects with reliable protection and prevent their most dangerous enemy from entering the territory of the apiary.
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