Are there any beekeepers or apiarists out there besides me and Beekeeper? Beekeeper I need some help, see first post.

[mspl8sdcntryboy]

Are there any beekeepers or apiarists out there besides me and Beekeeper? Beekeeper I need some help, see first post.

[mspl8sdcntryboy]

I need some advice on ant control, we have the hive on a 1.5'-2' stand with four legs on it. I have applied axle grease to the legs of the stand in hopes that it will stop the ants...NOT!
I hesitate at putting and poison around the hive because I don't want the bees to inadvertently drag some of the poison into the hive killing bees and ruining food stores.
I wouldn't worry about the ants (they are not directly hurting anything), but fighting the ants has made the bees aggressive.
Any advice would be appreciated.

[Happy Myles]

Please don't laugh, as I know nothing of this subject. Could you set each of the four legs in a sturdy pot of water?

[99explorer]

A coffee can with kerosene under each leg would probably do the trick if water down not. I've heard that people in NYC did that during the Great Depression to prevent roach infestation in their apartments.

[mspl8sdcntryboy]

Happy Myles no laughing here (he-he), that actually isn't a half bad idea except that here in the south it might attract more (if that is even possible) mosquitoes and other bugs.

99 Also a good idea, theoretically, but I'm a little worried as to what the fumes might do the bees, after all they pretty much live on scents. If we lived in a colder climate I probably wouldn't worry so much about the fumes, but when the temperature reaches 100+ degrees in the summer, it might cause some problems.
Thanks to both of y'all!But keep the suggestions coming, I'm getting desperate to find a solution. Last night I put pepper spray around the legs hoping to deter the ants.

[Pray- hunt-work]

My grandfather always put some type of tar around the trunk of a couple of spruce trees on his lawn to deter the carpenter ants, it was thick and rubbery, like a mix of tar and pitch, he wouldn't have been one to use poison. If I can get to him on a day that his parkinsons is mild I will ask him what it was... Seems as though it could work well for your application.

[mspl8sdcntryboy]

Thanks P-H-W, I'd appreciate it.

[Dcast]

Stainless steel legs or some other metal legs I imagine would work good as long as they aren't brushed. Wood is easy for ants to climb, grease wouldn't do a thing for you with ants, but metal should do the trick. If not make your own termite guards to put around the legs or do that to start with that will keep the ants from crawling up the legs.

[mspl8sdcntryboy]

I just put masking tape on the legs with the sticky side out, a temporary fix but we'll see how it does.

[Pray- hunt-work]

My brother in law manages a vineyard and suggested duct tape sticky side out, around the legs. He uses it to prevent ants from getting to the grapes and around the base of other fruit trees. Similar to your masking tape trick, it may work, give us some feedback.