Tanglefoot Anti-ant paste

Before the bees absconded, along with the die-off there were a couple ant attacks. I can control them somewhat with Diatomaceous Earth but it blows and washes away, not always where I want it. My niece, Beekeeper Tricia, recommended Tanglefoot paste. It was hard to find, not at Home Depot or Lowes. I finally found it at OSH Hardware. Although not major attacks those attacks may have the proverbial straw on the bee's back. With no bees on hand it is a good time to attend to other issues with the hive.

Tanglefoot is natural gum resins and carnuba wax. It does not kill the ants, it just suggests going some place else...if the scouts can get unstuck. Thow away gloves are highly recommended but this is not toxic, just very sticky.
I put a line of tape under the bottom edge with a generous lip hanging over. I think this will prevent the ants from going under the block. These are very small ants. What I call normal sized ants have not been around here for several years and these seem to filling the void.

I put a generous bead around the bottom and up on the edge of the block. There is another one around the top inside also. When I moved the hive off the blocks I found several generations of Black Widow spiders. Maybe the inside stuff will discourage future spider families also.

I believe this will stay for a good long time.


I had a bit of comb from one of the frames so I left it on the doorstep as a natural lure.
There have been some Lookie Lou's already, it is a nice neighborhood.

This space availableAll in place and the hive back together. Who knows maybe a swarm will come by looking for a home. I have left only two hive boxes with comb in all the frames. There have been a few random scavengers or scouts about the place so I left the third super nearby on a table.
The fence is just a deterent for my dogs. One or two bee visits and they tend to avoid the area. It might also be good for possums which have been seen around here.