Strong, little, miniature ants

[Cindi]

The other day after the sugar shake, I was cleaning up around the apiary and there was a bee that had perished, for one reason or the other, who knows, probably (I hope), old age.  There I looked at this poor little bee and surrounding it were several tiny, teeny ants.  These are the size of the ants that hang around the beehives, much looking for something good to eat.  The bees are their target.  I don't think that they enter the hive, but who on earth knows.  Anyways, look at this picture of the little buggers that are having a hay day, trying their darndest to pull this bee away.  They gave up, I knew that 'cause I saw them march away.  Have a wonderful day, great life, love that life you're livin'.  Cindi

[asprince]

Just a tiny link in the huge food chain.

Steve

[rdy-b]

DO you have honey suppers on with honey :) in them if so take precautionary measures . i dont think those are the dreaded argentine ants. dont be fooled by visable numbers.they will give you greaf if not to day in the future. ants are VERYbad news. good luck  RDY-B ;)

[Cindi]

I have set out ant traps in the apiary.  I am not interested at all in entertaining the thoughts of little ants eating up the bees food stores.  These ants are so tiny, I don't even think that the bees could rid their hives of them, too small to sting, maybe they might bite them though and kill them?

Now that poses a question.  Do bees ever bite insects to kill them off?

Have a wonderful day, great life, great health.  Cindi

[Robo]

Don't know about the biting part,  but I have quite a variety of ants around here and have never had a problem with them getting to the honey in a hive.  The bees are very good at keeping them out.   I occasionally have them taking up residence in areas that the bees can not access, like between the metal and wood of the top cover or in inner cover dado space.  I image they could become a problem with a weak hive,  but a strong hive has no problem with them, so I just let them be.   They seem content to harvest the dead bees and droppings.  I guess I'm just thankful I don't have SHBs.

[Cindi]

Robo, hmmm...food for thought.

The problem that I have here is the darned earwigs!!!!!  Man, when my husband took off the solid bottomboards to alter them into screened bottom boards, you should have seen the clusters of baby earwigs!!!!  Now those little critters really bug me.  They are always on the inner covers and I squish them as soon as I see them.  But they can really pack quite a little pinch if they get you first, it actually hurts a bit, but is more shocking than anything.  Have a wonderful day, great life. Cindi

[annette]

I have many ants like this eating and carrying away dead bees. This goes on a lot around my hives. I have never seen these ants actually on the hives.

I have seen ants on occasion approaching the entrance to the hives and the bees just seem to push them away, I have never seen them sting the ants. Who knows what takes place inside. I figure they have a few bees assigned to the task of removing any creatures that do not belong.

Good Day
Annette

[rdy-b]

I have seen bees pick ants off of colonies and fly away with the ant in its mouth. I know a beekeeper that was requeening brand new box of 25 queens set them in the shade to keep them cool,went to go get lunch. apon returning ants had killed the queens. wonder if theres a tax deduction for such a loss ;) the more time you spend with bees and the more that your numbers increase the more of these littel wonders you will see. :) RDY-B

[Kirk-o]

Ants ants ants I have to really be careful here in L A ants can really be a problem I have had ants overwhelm a hive here I have had bees abscond which is a real dreag
kirko

[Hannah-Davida]

If you are a sensitive never squash a bug type....don't read this. That said...
Borax. Wonderful stuff. If ants are giving you grief, put some Borax (or 20 Mule Team...same difference) into a jar with icing sugar. Puncture the lid a bunch of times so the little mauraders can get in. The icing suger suckers them in and the Borax does them in. Borax can be toxic to other critters to so don't just pour it out around your hives!
Good luck!
Oh, and earwigs...try putting wet rolls of newspaper or toilet paper rolls out where the earwigs are. Overnite they will populate these damp beds and are easily removed and destroyed in the morning, beds and all.

[trapperbob]

 I've got really big black ant colonies near my hive and they tryed to get in the hive and the bees set them strait emediatly now they just clean the dead bees up and don't even try to climb the stand. Had a field roach try to get in by climbing on the inner cover when I had it on the ground while doing a check. By the time I seen it it jumped off the cover and went into the hive. Well about a minute later the bees did what I failed to do they killed and dragged out the intruder. They don't even seem to let a house fly land on the landing board kind of suprised they let me look in with out attacking they seem to gaurd with real efficency. I feel very privlaged to be allowed in.

[Cindi]

Hannah-Davida.  I am going to work your method of earwig control.  I cannot stand these little critters like I said and I really want to get rid of them.  Evidently they don't bother the bees, but they do bother me too much.  You live in our PNW, so I know that you have them too.  I think Lumby is much more dry than the southwest coast, but still, I know your area and your climate.  How badly do you get them around your place?  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, great life, great health.  Cindi

I am going to make a post about an ant issue that is unforgivable and lessons learned.