How to Get Rid of Ants Without Harming Your Bees

Ants and bees have a complicated relationship. While ants love to feast on the sweet honey produced by bees, they can also wreak havoc on a bee colony if left unchecked. However spraying toxic chemicals isn’t the answer, as these can be just as harmful to bees. Fortunately, there are several effective methods to deter ants without putting your bees at risk.

Why Ants are a Problem for Beehives

Ants pose a serious threat to the health and productivity of a bee colony. A trail of ants marching into a beehive is bad news for several reasons

• They Rob Honey: Ants have a major sweet tooth, especially for the rich honey produced by bees. Ants will steal as much honey as they can carry back to their nests. This robbing can quickly deplete a hive’s honey stores meant to feed the bee colony.

• They Eat Bee Brood: Ants don’t just raid the pantry, they also feast on bee brood (larvae and pupae). Bee brood is rich in protein and nutrients, making them a tasty treat for ants. This is devastating for the colony’s population and health.

• They Transmit Diseases: Ants can introduce and spread harmful pathogens into a beehive, including bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. Common ant-transmitted bee diseases include chalkbrood and American foulbrood. An ant infestation can quickly infect a colony.

• They Disturb Bee Behavior: The presence of ants alters normal bee activity and behavior. Bees switch focus to defending the hive rather than their usual food-gathering, nursing, and other tasks. This disruption negatively impacts hive productivity.

Even a minor ant problem can escalate into a bee colony collapse if left unaddressed. Getting rid of ants is crucial, but must be done in a bee-safe manner.

Dangers of Using Ant Killer Sprays Around Bees

It may be tempting to reach for a can of ant killer spray to fix an ant problem quickly. However, these sprays present a major hazard to foraging honey bees.

Ant killer sprays and other pesticides are chemically toxic. The active ingredients are designed to be lethal to ants. Unfortunately, many of these chemicals are also highly toxic to bees.

Both ants and bees belong to the insect order Hymenoptera. They share enough biological similarities that what harms ants will likely harm bees too.

This includes:

• Contact Pesticides: Sprays designed to kill ants on contact are extremely dangerous to bees. Even brief exposure can be fatal if a bee comes into contact with sprayed surfaces.

• Gut Toxins: Chemicals designed to be ingested by ants pose a hazard to bees as well. Residues end up in nectar and pollen where foraging bees can consume the toxins and carry them back to the hive.

• Repellent Chemicals: Some ant sprays contain ingredients like synthetic pyrethroids meant to repel ants. These chemicals can also repel and disorient foraging honey bees, preventing them from returning to the hive.

Spraying pesticides around flowers and beehives where bees are actively foraging puts them at high risk of toxic exposure. Even spraying only around the base of hives can still be dangerous if chemicals drift or volatilize into the air.

For the health of your bee colonies, ant killer sprays and foggers should always be avoided. There are safer organic methods to get rid of ants without harming your busy buzzing bees.

8 Organic Ways to Deter Ants Around Beehives

Here are some of the top techniques for repelling ants that pose no risk for honey bees:

1. Apply Grease or Oil Barriers

Ants have difficulty crossing slippery surfaces. Create an obstacle around hive stands by applying grease, oil or slippery tape.

• Motor Oil – Old motor oil can be brushed onto hive stand legs and supports. Reapply after rain. Avoid fresh oil that may contain toxic volatile compounds.

• Vaseline – Coat hive stand legs with a layer of petroleum jelly. Ants cannot get purchase on the greasy surface.

• Tanglefoot – This extremely sticky gel is used in agriculture as an insect barrier. Apply a band around each hive stand leg to block ants.

• Duct Tape – Wrap stand legs in sticky side out then coat with a light grease or oil. The tape provides grip and the grease makes it slippery.

2. Make Soapy Moats

Place each hive stand leg inside a low container filled with a few inches of soapy water to make a slippery moat. Use plain liquid soap rather than detergent. Replenish the moats as water evaporates. The soapy film drowns and discourages ants.

3. Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth

DE powder is made from crushed fossils of aquatic organisms called diatoms. The sharp microscopic particles cut and damage ants’ exoskeletons, causing dehydration. Sprinkle DE around hives and ant trails. Wear a mask when applying to avoid breathing in the dust.

4. Use Cinnamon

Cinnamon powder repels ants. It can be sprinkled around the hive perimeter to discourage ant trails. Cinnamon is non-toxic to bees at normal repellent concentrations. However, direct contact or piles of cinnamon could still pose a hazard, so apply lightly.

5. Plant Mint

Mint gives off a strong scent that naturally deters ants. Plant peppermint, spearmint or catnip around your hives. Avoid rubbing or crushing the leaves which could irritate your bees. Let the mint plants do the work.

6. Use Citrus Peels

Ants dislike citrus smells. Scatter fresh orange, lemon or grapefruit peels around hive stands and ant trails. Crush peels to release more oil. Replenish weekly as the peels dry out. The acidity also deters ants. Just avoid getting citrus oils on your bees.

7. Bait with Borax

Mix borax powder with jelly or sugar water to create homemade ant bait. Place small containers of the bait around hives and ant trails. Worker ants are drawn to the bait, bring it back to the nest and unwittingly poison the rest of the colony. Borax bait works slowly so bees won’t be exposed.

8. Trap and Remove Ant Colonies

Find and directly remove ant nests in the vicinity of your hives. Carefully pour boiling water or diatomaceous earth into nest openings to eliminate colonies. Trapping ants crawling on hives with sticky traps or funnel traps avoids scattering ants and reduces need for repellents.

When to Call a Professional Exterminator

In severe ant infestations, you may need to call in a professional pest control company. However, make it clear you want to use bee-safe methods:

• Ask them to only bait indoors or in confined crawl spaces, not spray outdoors around hives.

• Ensure they use targeted baits, gels or borate powders rather than broadcast spraying.

• Request that they avoid any neonicotinoid pesticides which are especially harmful to pollinators.

• Ask them to only apply insect growth regulator products that are safe around bees.

With proactive organic deterrents, you can send ants packing without negative consequences for your honey bees. Pay close attention and act swiftly at the first signs of ants before they get out of control. Implement multiple barriers and deterrents at vulnerable entry points to keep ants away for good.

Frequency of Entities

bees – 37
ants – 36
hives – 16
ant – 10
sprays – 5
stands – 5
legs – 5
colonies – 4
oils – 3
grease – 3
soapy – 2
pesticides – 2
chemicals – 2
citrus – 2
exterminator – 2
neonicotinoids – 1
growth regulators – 1
baits – 1
borax – 1
cinnamon – 1
mint – 1
diatomaceous earth – 1