May 30: Ants on the hive!

May 30, 2014:

In a quick hive inspection I discovered ants all over the hive, especially at the seam between the hive-top feeder and the hive itself.  As I said on facebook, "Ants in my beehive, now.  Luckily there are 8,000 active beekeeping websites with mounds of advice.  Most of them say cinnamon and boric acid."

I made a paste of ground cinnamon and water and smeared it around those seams where the ants were busy.  Then I made up a solution of boric acid and water, put it in plastic containers (that originally held very nice raviolis), and poked small holes in the top--small enough that the bees can't get in, big enough for the ants.

I also purchased a length of 6" diameter PVC pipe, which Ian Camera kindly chop-sawed for me into four equal parts.  As per the advice of Ilse Ackerman, if the ants persist, I'll put the whole hive up on these pieces of pipe, with the pipe-legs standing in dishes of canola oil.

[later edit: this hasn't been necessary.  The boric acid seems to have done the trick, and as far as I can tell the ants never made it inside the hive itself.]