Beekeeping: Building Ant Proof Hive Stands

BubbaTanicals.com | HomesteadLiberty.com
We've lost several bee colonies to ants recently. This video walks through the process of building a hive stand that will support up to 5 Langstroth hives and keep them ant free.

[@mroberts4023]

to keep the ants out of our hive we would paint the wood post that go into the ground with used motor oil and the ants would not cross it. Based on the amount of rain or other weather you may have to do this a few times during the year but it was the easiest way to stop the ants. The best oil was the oil that came out of the tractor since it was very dark and smelled the worst.

[@justincook534]

You Are Amazing my friend!!!! I have just installed your system and NO MORE ANTS!!!! Wonderful!!! It even looks so much better than all those blocks and wooden 4 x 4s I was using. Thanks!!!!

[@fxpestoperator5527]

Wonderful!!!!!! I actually saw your video long ago and in the south we have those little sugar ants.... Built the stand using four poles used in chainlink fencing, then was able to add four more to extend the stand to over 40 feet long now. With the T sections supporting it and the PVC cups in place, it works SOOOO perfectly!!!!!! You are a genius my brother!!!!

[@beefsupreme5291]

Honestreview actually he said he found the idea online. He should have gave credit where due. If thats genius then your easily impressed

[@Hogavich]

Thanks for sharing! Happy Beekeeping!

[@7777russ]

You could put 4" pvc sewer caps over the pipe (drill hole in the cap and put pipe thru hole and caulk so it doesn't leak) and then put water in the caps, ants will not cross water. about once a week add more water, I have been doing that for years and I have no ants, the only difference is my legs sit inside the caps on the ground because my hives are on solid ground. For hive beetles I suck them up with a little nozzle on a modified vacuum, the bees corral the beetles so they are real easy to get, you just have to be fast. Varroa is something I just have to deal with.

[@theconstitutionalist5617]

Here in Florida this guy had a lot of money, and he had a koi fish pond... he wanted to get into bee keeping. Those same ants were giving him a hard time... so he put the hive on the island in his pond... good idea right... lol nope those ants built a bridge across the pond and the fish didn't touch them... lol...

[@TheRainHarvester]

Lol...I mean you're kidding...right?

[@chipfriday8166]

Thanks for your thoughtful design and evolution.

[@firstwavepuresoul]

Borax, borax, borax....dilute borax with sugar water, coca-cola, or similar and place in plastic pop bottle..drill a small hole so only ants can get in and drop them near hive so ants can crawl inside.....worked for me

[@paigenicolem4335]

omg yes! I'm not the only one who knows this!! lol

[@TheRainHarvester]

I like this idea because it kills ants! Where do you get borax?

[@josephvogel7234]

Wow I haven't heard that in a while..."Pop Bottle" You are surely from up north.

[@ddevon2525]

Im very new to beekeeping.... aka.. haven't even tried to build a beekeeping system, I feel lucky to stumble across this video because it seems really efficient and cheap *your set up*, I have a question and possible benefit to your set up... You said you realized you must cut under the stands because of plant growth reaching the stands... Couldn't you put cedar mulch under the stand to reduce growth, and repell ants.? or would cedar repell the bees as well? I thought if its okay with the bee's it would serve as a repellent at ground level and control foliage... Its a thought

[@wackyrice1]

to keep the droppings from sticking to the grease, cut plastic collars from the bottom of jugs (?) with a side slit for installation over the grease cups. Pull the slit tight and hot glue or whatever to create a come affect. Droppings should slide off. The simplicity of your anti-ant system is genius.

[@sunshineaquaponics6968]

Thanks for the video, enjoyed it and learned some thing new.

[@josephvogel7234]

Great post! Where are you? I live in South Texas, and we have some nasty ants. Nothing that compares to yours! I have 4X4 legs on my stands and every spring I put on nitrile gloves and slather axle grease on the top of each leg to keep the ants out. I like the idea of covering it up that you presented. I think I am going to start looking for some appropriate size containers to cut up, Thanks

[@aleklysikov6033]

Very nice bat;very hard work!thankyou for video !!

[@stagename9231]

Wondering why we can't just coat the legs of our platform with petroleum grease ?

[@noahriding5780]

Thank you for the video.

[@txholeyrocks]

After I saw this video I did a concrete pad 48" x 30" and sank 2 posts about 18" apart front to back, so this could support the bee hives. Just envision the post that he has in the video turned 90 degrees and another set 18" away. This allows me to have plenty of stand as well as I can add on to this stand by just putting on pipe. I just used post clamps that screwed directly into the bottom bee frame. I don't have to worry about grass.

[@beefsupreme5291]

Zak White link a photo please. or better yet a video.

[@txholeyrocks]

+Zak White I have 4 bee hives and can say that I have no ant problem with a metal stand. I use a tube of bearing grease. I like this stand cause I can add on to it at any time. It's the right height for 3 boxes.

[@davidedgerly]

Smart... worth the watch... Thanks for your hard work...

[@dkaiyumi]

Here in Brazil last year i lost 18 hives because i had problem with ants. But my ants here are bigger. I'll try to record a video to show to you. I really liked your idea.

[@selbar1]

Can't wait to try this thanks for sharing

[@joeltb]

Cool idea! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@stevet4042]

Why not just cut a gallon milk jug and wrap around the wood post, staple on, and put grease on the under side?

[@tulipsmoran5197]

or rather than grease outside plastic jug, fill 1/2 vegetable oil or spent motor oil

[@guardiandogoargentinos1385]

@@tulipsmoran5197 what about the bees?

[@guardiandogoargentinos1385]

@@tulipsmoran5197 will they not get in the oil?

[@johnsavage2808]

i use a metal bed frame and put a bake bean under the legs and use vege oil in the can and that works ok.

[@K5ATA]

Great video. I ended up putting a small can (can even use paint cans) with used motor oil beneath each leg. Like you, I thought it would be a pain, but in reality, it is no big deal. A couple of minutes with a post hole digger to drop them in and pour the bit of oil in. I thought I would end up replacing oil non stop, but even with the rain, the water is plain nasty black and ants don't cross it. I may tinker with your idea on my next stand.

[@freedomwoodgasandoffgridin8925]

high school girlfriend's dad had bees. hives up on a stand like yours. only he had 4 inches of pea gravel on the ground under the hives then in the winter he coated the pea gravel with Diazanon crystles. then powdered the the legs of the hive stand in the spring just to make sure. don't know if that worked or not. didn't spend much time in the bee yard.

[@mugsyjeff]

Hey Bubba, great idea, thanks for sharing. I have one suggestion. How would you go fixing the plastic cups to the pipe with silicone at the top first. Then once the silicone has set, put the grease in under it to keep the top from being greasy? The single 1 inch pipe looks a bit under built, but that's just how it looks to me. I'm sure it's fine.

[@ZrubekFamily]

That iron pipe is really strong

[@terribethreed8464]

Would your idea do double duty for keeping the beetles out of the hives as well?

[@lodewyk21]

I would think too use a bigger cup and turn it around then seal it up with silicon then use normal water in it. But hats off on the grease idea didn't know they hate it that much

[@slimjim7411]

Just paint the inside of the cups with neverwet. The ants won't be able to crawl up and then there is no ant filled grease to manage. Also you can get bags of diatomaceous earth (which I can never spell correctly). Pour it around the legs of the stands so not only can the ants not climb the stands, but they will track that dust back to the ant mounds and in short order kill the whole mound. Mist it with some water so the bee's don't crawl in it (they usually don't). It's non-toxic safe for pets, people just not insects. It kills them slow so don't expect to see dead ants everywhere under the hive. Upside is with the neverwet in those upside down cups on the stand legs year after year with or without the DTE the ants simply won't be able to climb up to the hives.

[@rcgilbert65]

will this work for hive beetles also?

[@chipfriday8166]

did you try the never wet on aluminum strips on your hive bases to fight off the small hive beatle?

[@SuperSmith]

rcgilbert65 no, the beetles can fly

[@dianaalfonso6746]

OMG thanks for sharing this!!! I live in California and ants are out of control. We just got our first beehive and I am checking on my bees every hour. I put cinnamon around, some ant poison(making sure bees do not get in) anyways, we are tired of ants. I go by myself and kill them when I see too many on the box. I am afraid my bees get exhausted of protecting their hive. I really hope this works!!! I want my bees to have a good home. thanks again!!

[@TwoTall1988]

you'd be better off keeping a healthy amount of diatomaceous earth around your hives

[@solamano7239]

Do you have problems with the metal pipes heating up the hives?

[@Rabidavid]

Sounds and looks interesting. I sincerely hope it works, but have you noticed if the ants have started to try bridging the gap under the cup. I know that in their natural habitat, some ants are expendable just for the colony and are their bodies are used to bridge such gaps as your grease, or running water or even to bridge gaps that are too deep to cross.

[@suehuseby3767]

Rabidavid iibv

[@theconstitutionalist5617]

I use ant lions and coffee grounds to help with ants and small hive beetlea... to be honest I don't know if it control the bettles cause my numbers of bettles have always been low.

[@jjare6918]

Definitely helpful video, I have lots of ants

[@ArtisanTony]

The Argentine ants never forgot the Falkland Islands :)

[@nodikusum]

This was great, I have been researching "cheap beehive" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Have you ever come across - Tiyia Beehive Basophilic - (just google it ) ? Ive heard some great things about it and my friend got amazing success with it.

[@jondimuro88]

Lmao indeed they were also screaming I show you Mrs. THATCHER!!!

[@MReynolds101]

Can you spray your yard with water and dawn dish soap

[@dwaynelewis3799]

Good idea. I would suggest that you use the pipe cap and turn it up. then use a glue gun and secure it on the pipe. after add water in pipe cap. u may use the grease mixed with something like engine oil or something that will run the ants away . but like your attempt.

[@TheRainHarvester]

They might get dirty that way. Then ants crawl over the dirt.

[@MeSoyCapitan]

Ant keepers use something called insectaslip to coat the rims of their tanks to prevent ants escaping. Perhaps that might be usable on your pipes as an added level of protection?

[@noahriding5780]

Is that insectaslip stuff something you've have to re-coat with every so often? How often would you have to recoat?

[@atmm89]

great idea, I am sure it will solve that

[@chrissmith9151]

I would hot glue the top of those cups to the poles. It would secure and seal it from water.

[@beefsupreme5291]

Chris Smith i would have just put another automotive hose clamp on the pole at the desired height and let the cup rest on that then pack it with the axle grease. I'am not sure why he mentions high temp grease but then you want cv-joint grease or moly grease. The grease is already water proof. Not knowing why it needs to be waterproof.

[@abdulrahmanmaaliki5897]

I use salt around the territory. Seems to work for regular ants, I am not sure if Argentine ants are different.

[@jodyreeder4820]

How'd it work?

[@watchmanonthewallcouk6498]

openings are big ?

[@patrickbodenham6879]

"pain in the hive" - hahaha

[@beefsupreme5291]

if nurse bees dont fly. how do they get back into the hive P.S. You cant see rain thru a camera unless there is light behind it. Which any other time you never ever want to be facing a light.

[@xshanghu]

How did the kick boxing class go?

[@arceliacody5151]

Wish you could focus closer to the ants. So I can see what ur talking about. Try to explain to a kindergartner like me. Am so interested to start my bee hives. Sorry for the problem. Thanks for sharing. Need all the learning I can get.

[@jsutherlygmail]

why not just coat a area of the legs of any base with grease? seems the pvc caps on the legs is overkill. I am starting my first hives next spring and hope I don't have an ant problem. I may have to guard against varmints, though. Thanks for the video.

[@karenpolenz249]

Try keeping chickens around the hives

[@ashking_wani]

Feeding chicken around the hive is really worth mention . Atleast i got away with ants .

[@ianbest6077]

looks like putting the legs in buckets of oil looks much easier aha

[@beefsupreme5291]

bestian4 lol thats what i thought

[@hasanyilmaz960]

loads more expensive and much more trouble this way but I guess he has Irish decent

[@hcaveman6954]

What do you do when the bucket fills up with rain water 💧 🤔 the oil spills onto the ground? 🤔

[@goatcheeseguru7976]

any tips for someone who doesn't know how to beekeep, as how to start doing so? like+subscribed

[@42pyroboy]

...so how is pouring concrete, waiting for it to set, building the pipes and attaching all of the fittings with the grease cup and moving all of your bases less of a pain in the ass than filling some cans with oil....

[@GregamazingNinja]

Wouldn't you have to fill the cans with oil for the rest of your life if you didn't do what the video did?

[@42pyroboy]

oil wont evaporate but you would have to change it when it got full of dirt. but you have to do the same with the grease cups when they get dirty

[@jacorin]

have you had any problems with the hives during heavy wind?? sliding on the pipe?

[@dianaalfonso6746]

Shane Villis that is my concern too. I get heavy winds around my area :/

[@beefsupreme5291]

Shane Villis just strap them to it with a ratchet strap or a quick cargo strap.

[@TheRainHarvester]

Or screw 2 wood strips to the bottom that can't slide past the bar.

[@luispadilla7484]

you can put grease on the wood legs!! ants cannot go up over grease.

[@TomLincolnPhoebe]

Looks a lot like a bear-resistant bird feeder pole I built. I'll try a variation of this design for my 2 hives. Different ants, but like you say, there's no joy in raising ants.

[@Zerkbern]

I'd bet you could probably forgo the greasing of the poles...

[@charlesmcadams1491]

what about the queen ants has wings an can fly up to the hive in build a new colony way above ground level ,

[@donaldgulledge729]

Don't forget to keep your weeds/plants trimmed down - nature will provide an alternative path for the ants and they will take it faster than you realize you missed a mowing day.

[@SuperCheeko12]

How about wind with those rails

[@DoubleTopHoneyCo]

Next design use 90s on your 10 footers and make the entire setup one piece.

[@wrobin3458]

what is the name of grease? any environmental type of grease?

[@brijarens9708]

"Tanglefoot" - made in usa

[@hcaveman6954]

Yeah that is the stuff, tanglefoot is available at garden stores. The author is referring to axle grease available at auto parts stores.

[@OgMandin0]

HOW'S YOUR SYSTEM HOLDING UP? i used to sell welding alloys to industry. Gained a healthy respect for "bi-metallic corrosion." 2 pieces of the SAME alloy, even, will react with each other. That plus having all those steel posts set in the ground each creates a "battery." They will react against one another. Any of this evident in your project? =I hope not!

[@hcaveman6954]

To prevent this corrosion use a pipe thread sealer I believe it is called soft set or soft seal. It is the same stuff the gas company people use when using that same pipe for a gas line in your house.

[@ashking_wani]

It would suggest to rear some chicken ,and let them feed around the hive (by putting feed around the hive). Blv me itz really more proffitable .

[@Bienen-Welten]

Good ideas for it you get a subscription from me.

[@TNRonin]

Food grade diatomaceous earth?

[@hcaveman6954]

Yes! Applied on ground below hive. NEVER IN OR ON HIVE. You can use DE in animals feed, has to be food grade. DO NOT USE THE SWIMMING POOL DE AROUND ANYTHING RELATED TO FOOD OR FEED.

[@hcaveman6954]

Yes.

[@rondurham9140]

Long video... just to say use grease. Maybe I was just in a hurry to get rid of my ants. I already mounted my hive on a pedestal but the ants are running up it.

[@MrDiablo182]

Let me know when you find an idea to keep the wing ants away..

[@hcaveman6954]

Wing ants are swarming like bees or mating. Generally shouldn't be a problem for a beehive, but there always is an exception. 🤔

[@electricengineer624]

believe me those little monsters will pass throw the grease cuz it will get dry within time.

[@aquistorm6348]

Water don't work for fire ants.

[@andrzejprociuk]

AquiStorm