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Author Topic: Bullants Destroy Young Colony  (Read 6496 times)

Offline Birdswood

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Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« on: January 02, 2012, 05:02:44 am »
darn!!!
For the second time in just under three weeks a young colony has been destroyed by bloody bullants! Unfortunatley, both of them had new queens and not enough stromg adult bees to protect the hive. Anyone else having trouble with bullants? I've just been online trying to find remedies for the problem.
Hopefully, I've got my revenge on the ant colony as I followed the ants carrying larvae and beeparts and have baited their nest with sealed Ant Rid containers.

Leigh  :( :( :(

Offline the-ecohouse.com

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Re: Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2012, 05:14:25 am »
Hey Leigh

that's preety bad luck mate, not good to hear. :(

I had a stack of problems last year, lost 5 or 6 hives to massive swarms of bull ants

There is only one permement remedy for bull ants, that worked for me. here it is

Go to bunnings and get a product called "david grays ant and termite spray". its a concentrate. small white box. nasty stuff! get one of those pressure sprayer packs while your there. dilute it 30ml per ltr then follow the ants back to their nest and apply to the point of overflow down each hole entrance. follow it up with another dose 2-3 days later....no more bull ants....

Game over

eco 1 ants 0


make sure you have a really good look for all the nests...At at one site there was a cluster about 80 meters away that were harassing my hives....

Cinnamon powder (i'm talk-en heaps of it) also works well around the entrances and hives stands (use it around the hives where you absolutely do not what this other nasty stuff). seems to "deter" ants.

best of luck
« Last Edit: January 02, 2012, 08:06:17 am by the-ecohouse.com »

Offline Birdswood

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Re: Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2012, 08:27:54 am »
Thanks Eco. Now that sounds like my type of defence! If the Ant Rid packs don't work, I'll certainly be using your remedy.
I've noticed bull ants near some of my strong hives, so I think I'll go for a little wander to see what I can find and than hit 'em with your suggestion... :evil:

Leigh

Offline the-ecohouse.com

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Re: Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2012, 08:46:13 am »
lol sounds good!

its pretty amazing how far those little suckers come from...

Best of luck

Offline Johnny253

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Re: Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2012, 10:36:32 pm »
I've had the same problem with small colonies but haven't lost them. When I noticed ants crawling in and out or the hive (stealing larvae), I put a stand under it with each leg in a container of oil or water. Stopped them as they were no longer able to get to the hive.

I've never had a problem with a strong hive but you need to keep a close eye on the weaker ones.

I'd be a bit cautious using poisons for fear that the ants could take it into the bee hive.

Offline the-ecohouse.com

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Re: Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2012, 11:07:13 pm »
hey johnny i agree poison + bees = bad

i would never use that stuff right next to hives...

little ants are not an issue and you cant do much about them, too small for the bees to catch. bull ants are a different issue though.

oh trust me...spraying the ants nest with that stuff will guarantee they don't carry anything.... anywhere!


Offline KD4MOJ

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Re: Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2012, 08:34:13 am »
For the second time in just under three weeks a young colony has been destroyed by bloody bullants!

What's a bullant? An ant on steroids?   :?

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

Offline Birdswood

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Re: Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2012, 08:40:35 am »

Offline Birdswood

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Re: Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2012, 04:19:54 am »
Hey Eco, went to Bunnings and loaded up with the good stuff. Bullants here we come!!!  :evil: :evil: :evil:

Offline Lone

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Re: Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2012, 11:28:24 am »
Hello,

I was camping at one place and I kid you not (much), these 6 inch long bullants started marching towards me.  I pretended I wasn't there and curled up in a ball on my swag.  But that didn't stop them and closer and closer they came.  I took a stick and sawed one for a long time through its tough metallic hide until it split into two pieces (apologies, Mr I Love The Ants).  So then I had two parts of an ant charging towards me. 

All I could do was pray and go to sleep and in the morning there was no sign of the monsters.

Quote
http://www.fearlesspestcontrol.com.au/pest-control-sydney-latest/pest-control-bull-ants-sydney

Try this.  http://australianmuseum.net.au/Bull-ants
There is a lot of difference between 10 and 40mm (30mm to be exact..)  Unless they meant they are 10cm.

Doug,  a bullant is a male cowant.

Lone

Offline Birdswood

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Re: Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« Reply #10 on: January 08, 2012, 10:56:07 pm »
Well Eco, I managed to get some of the good stuff as I said...gee, they do get angry don't they???  :-D I had them running up the spray wand trying to get to my hand and they were all over my boots trying to get at me too. I went back the next day and the crafty buggers were transferring eggs to another smaller nest about 20 metres away from the main nest, so that got a soaking as well... :evil: :-D :evil:

Offline taztiger

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Re: Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« Reply #11 on: January 09, 2012, 12:01:23 am »
Petrol will soon fix the bullants. Just tip a bit down the hole. No need to light it, the fumes do the job.

Offline Birdswood

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Re: Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2012, 02:17:18 am »
Thanks for that suggestion taztiger, I'll keep it in mind for the future.

Offline the-ecohouse.com

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Re: Bullants Destroy Young Colony
« Reply #13 on: January 09, 2012, 05:52:22 am »

Hey Birdswood.

works well eh? make sure you give me a follow up drenching/soaking in about 3 days to finish them off.

Fill the main hole first then you can see all of the secondary holes as they pour out. :evil:

best get wear your gumboots i reckon  :)

best of luck

 

anything