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Syrup and ants | Forum

Topic location: Forum home » Support » General Questions
John
John May 21
Where we're located it's very dry and there isn't much about in terms of flowers offering nectar right now. Yesterday evening I added a feeder which is the type you place on the brood chamber and then put the crown board ontop of the feeder and then the lid back on. The feeder is the same dimensions as the crown board / brood chamber.

I did a quick check this morning and it has large quantities of small red ants around and in it. Those in it have died a sugary death. Ants are a right pain around here - stubborn and very hard to eliminate.

My assumption is that even if it looks a bit grim, I don't need to worry so long as the ants are not going into the brood chamber in any numbers. Is that right, or am I missing the point somewhere?

This hive in on 5 frames, swarm caught May 17th with first new brood emerging last week. Lots of capped brood and generally looking not bad with my inexperienced eyes.
Jeremy Blake
Jeremy Blake May 21
No worries anymore. Once the bees realised the syrup was there the ants seems to have been give the heave-ho. No contest.
Olli Stor
Olli Stor May 21
Dealing with ants can be a real hassle, especially when they start invading your bee feeder. From what you described, it sounds like as long as the ants aren't getting into the brood chamber in large numbers, you should be okay. It's good to keep an eye on things though, just to be safe.As for your pest problems at home, I totally get where you're coming from. It's no fun dealing with creepy crawlies invading your space. If you're looking for a pest control company that can handle multiple types of pests, it might be worth giving PestControlCompanies.net a try. It's always a good idea to tackle pest issues before they get out of hand.
The Forum post is edited by Olli Stor May 21