Hi @isobella, I can’t find any posts from you where you either describe or have a photo of your hive setup so you’ll have to interpret the following as best applicable to how you have your hive setup.
Ant trap/barrier suggestions:
- Diatomaceous earth can be used around the base of the hive. However, this will need replenishing as it breaks down/washes away
- Water trap (what I use). Will need topping up every few days/week or so in summer as the water evaporates. Drawback in winter is the accumulation of dead bees and the fact it’s always full of water. Can smell a bit if you don’t empty/clean it out every few weeks in winter
- Grease/vaseline or similar around the legs of your hive stand. Ants won’t climb over it. However, if you’re using vaseline, expect it to “run” on hot summer days and reapplication will be required. I actually use vaseline around the collection bucket when I’m extracting honey to stop ants climbing up it
- Stand your hive in an oil trap (most likely one for each leg as opposed to a big oil trap akin to a large water trap)
They are just a few ideas to get you thinking. You can look at this thread for more discussion:
Something you need to be aware of is that Ant Powder is toxic to bees (and waterways). IF you have an ant problem in general around your place and are inclined to use Ant Powder use it very sparingly and do not let it come in contact with any flowers or surfaces that bees might land on. Alternatively, you could try pouring boiling water down the ants nests (note: boiling water is also likely to kill the roots of any plants, including grass, in the immediate vicinity. This is more of an issue for plants than grass)
Hope the above helps.
As a suggestion, take a photo of your hive and/or describe your setup on this thread:
https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/show-a-pic-of-your-setup/1
Posting information on your setup there will help other people when you ask for assistance. Also, that thread will let you see pictures/descriptions of different setups around the world.
Finally, don’t forget your bees also need a water source. When placing your water source make sure you’re aware of the fact you’ll essentially get a second flight path between the hive and the water source, especially on hot summer days. You can get ideas from this thread regarding different water source setups: