Ants May 20th Diary

[Colino]

Good Morning:
I noticed the ant picture in the diary, we always called them carpenter ants and they build a mound covered with small sticks. If you look closely you can see their trails in the grass and follow it back to their hive. Will these ants devastate a bee colony? I have at least 3 ant hills within 100 feet of my apiary. If they are malicious they are easily wiped out by making some 2:1 syrup and mixing in some Boraxhttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5 ... SY300_.jpg, then drizzle/spray it on the mound entrance and cover with a piece of plywood to keep out any pollinators.

[Countryboy]

We have ants like that too, but they will have ant hills 2 or 3 feet tall. The hills are big.

I actually keep my eyes open for these ant hills. They are a good indicator if an area is good bee pasture. If there are enough nectar sources to support large ant colonies, it is usually a good location for bees. (Another trick is to drive around and pay attention to locations that put lots of dead bugs on your windshield.)

I've never had any major problems with ants bothering hives. *knock on wood*
A minor nuisance, but that's all.

[Colino]

Two more ideas to keep in mind with your white butterfly observation which has worked really well for me.
Thanks

[Allen Dick]

Will these ants devastate a bee colony?

These are red ants and they sting. They can't get far with a strong hive, but can clean out a weak one.

Whether they devastate the colony or not, their constant harassment makes the bees really unhappy and unwelcoming, and they do take a toll on the colony's development.

I agree about ant hills being a sign of hospitable conditions for bees. That relates to not only the forage nearby, but the micro-climate at the spot where the ant hill is found.