I have spent a considerable time on getting rid of ants from in and around hives. As has many others who have posted here. There are many solutions, moats,traps and spays but all are just temporary. Ants are persistent little sods and will return as soon as your guard is down. So I have adopted a strategy of seeing ants quickly before they become a pest. Reduce the ant nests within a wide perimeter of the hive and let them live in peace outside that.
I shifted my hive (which is now two) onto a concrete floor which has a clear space of around 50-60 cm (2 ft). I am now able to detect even those little weenie ones before they become a problem. Usually I can track them back to a nest, mostly in the ground, which I can destroy. I back up this plan with grease around the hive stand legs but in the last 2 -3 months, no ants have made it to the hive. Bliss 
Now I know this will not suit most people, because of space, number of hives, time, location etc but it is something which works for me.
However ants seem to be able overcome most road blocks and I see a lot of special forces ants parachuting in and abseiling down the hives with jars of honey…ah but now I digress.
3 Likes