Bees of Baybay City Philippines: UNDER ATTACK...Part 1

Well, it can't always be easy. I know, for me it rarely is, but I thought I was on the right path once the bees got here. In this video I return to the bee yard expecting to find happy bees doing their thing, but instead I found bees literally fighting for their survival. The Philippines never stops amazing me and this beautiful environment never stops surprising me. What would be a minor annoyance in the USA, turned into a life or death struggle here. Join me and watch as I try to use some quick creative thinking to save my bees.

[@RY-mj3oz]

Hey Brent, other reactions are right; this amount of water will evaporate in a matter of hours in the dry season. Build troughs containing at least 50L and top with a layer of oil to fight evaporation, prevent ants from forming bridges AND mosquitos laying eggs. Possibly make the poles the hives sit on plastic pipes to prevent wood from decaying under water or sucking up the oil, as well as coating the (cement?) troughs to prevent leeching... The evaporating water might even cool the hives. Only worry is the oil layer loss in rainy season

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

RY, Thank you for the kind comment and supportive ideas. You touched on something that I'm going to run with in a totally different direction. You don't know it, but you gave me an idea that can be the answer to my problem. First of all, I'm probably not going to make a trough, expense, time, expertise... But I get where you're going with that. As for the water evaporating quickly...that's not really a big cause for alarm. Here where I'm at we pretty much have a wet, and wetter season, never really a dry season. Leyte is blessed with having one of the most consistent amounts of rainfall all year round according to the national weather service. Plus, Noy Digoy has taken on the duty of keeping the pans filled. He lives very close and doesn't mind checking in on them a few times a day. If it gets to be an issue when the weather changes I'll address it again and look for a better solution and may resort to your trough idea if it's necessary. However, when you mentioned PVC pipe it gave me the idea of replacing the pans inside the trays with cut sections of PVC. This will give me amazing stability and the ability to cut the pieces in the back longer than the front so I won't have to worry about shims to tilt the hives forward for drainage. This is really what I enjoy most about making these videos. I love the opportunity to brainstorm ideas with people from all over the world with all kinds of ideas. Thank you my friend. God bless you always. Please keep the ideas coming. I look forward to hearing from you again soon.

[@jamstore97]

👍👍👍

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Thank you for the comment and support. God bless you my friend!

[@MichaelBrown-gc1hw]

Hi Brent, so happy that you were able to sort your ant attack out - I know from experience that ground crawlers, can be a big threat to the hive. If I wanted to raise a hive, I used to use the plastic plinth stands, used for Kitchen Cabinets - relatively cheap and rot resistant - then as you have done stand the hive in a tub of water - you take care, more power to your puffer, regards Michael

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Thanks Michael. I appreciate the support. That’s a great idea you had. I think I’m going to replace my inner upside down pans with segments of pvc. That way I can make the back taller than the front and not worry about shims to get the right slope for drainage. God bless you my friend. I look forward to hearing from you again soon. Keep the comments and suggestions coming.

[@piacash5216]

I Have to Catchup Your Videos Been Busy At my Job Specially Now that the Holiday Season and Covid Season 😂😅 is Here in the US of A 😂😅…. Glad u upload a New Video ✌️👍👍👍👌

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Hi Pia. Thank you for the comment. I’m glad you’re watching. There is a lot more to come so there will be plenty to see. God bless and I hope to hear from you again soon.

[@jmfarrell5]

Plenty of possible solutions to your ant problem. Here’s another- motor oil/crude oil in your makeshift trough. Rooting for you. 👏🏻👏🏻

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Thanks jm! I really appreciate the feedback and advice. I’m going to stay away from the petroleum products for now because the bees have taken to drinking the water. I don’t want to do anything that could accidentally poison them or even mess with their very sensitive sense of smell. Please keep watching because I think you’ll like what’s coming. God bless you my friend. Please keep the comments coming.

[@edwinwerdna7061]

The water in the pan will evaporate fast in the heat. I think you will have to make a concrete canal /pool with lots of water.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Great idea Edwin. The cool thing for where I live here in Leyte is that we don't really ever get a "dry" season. We typically have a wet season and a wetter season, LOL. I'm SOOOOO blessed...until I can come up with a permanent solution, Noy Digoy is making sure the pans never run dry...but lately with all the constant rain we've had they are all constantly overflowing. Plus, Digoy also had a rather effective, non-chemical ant treatment that seems to have done the trick. LOL, you'll hear more about that in a future video. God bless you my friend. I really appreciate the support and the positive comments. Please keep them coming I love hearing your ideas!

[@yeroklexi0]

@@beekeepinginparadise5935, yes, a small pool from concrete, but good for fish, hehe.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

I wish I had my swimming pool from Indiana here. It would make much more sense here where it’s hot all the time. Lol oh well. I think if I had it I wouldn’t get any work done.

[@nelsonlomod9601]

You might also try boric acid bait against the ants. Boric acid is toxic to honeybees on contact but you can hide them in container where bees can't enter but the ants can.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

I don't think the ants are attracted to the boric acid by itself. Would you mix it into a paste with crisco or lard or another food source to attract them in, kind of like when people were using it to bait small hive beetles in corrugated sign boards or old CD cases? That's not a bad idea either.

[@01redlightning]

Hi Brent! Oh no! Those ants are called "hantik" in Tagalog. Very painful bites. Have Digoy try and locate their nest up in those trees. They like to use leaves and make a nest. Those metal trays won't stop them. They will form a bridge. The local laundry ladies use these big plastic tubs for washing big loads of laundry. Try those until your able to clear all the grass underneath the hives. Better away from those fruit trees and out in the clearing. Water and soap in those laundry tubs should keep them away. Hope you get those pest away from the hives. Take care my friend. As always God bless.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Wow! Yes you’re right! They bite really hard. You’ll be happy to hear that Noy Digoy hosted a barbecue in their honor and it seems to have helped a great deal. I’ll show a bit more of the struggle in the next video. I love the laundry tub idea. I know exactly where I can get those! Awesome cheap and simple solution! This is what I love most about posting these videos. I get so much incredible feedback. God bless you my friend. Sorry it took so long to answer. Life has me spinning in circles this past week and there is no end in sight .

[@01redlightning]

@@beekeepinginparadise5935 Hi Brent. I knew you had some sort of emergency situation to deal with so wasn't really expecting a usual immediate reply. You know I was so excited to give so many ideas that I forgot to hit that reply. Just not sure what would be effective for legs/stilt elevating the hives, once inside the tubs. And to make them crawl proof from those ants. They have long legs and all. I use to remember growing up here and my Grandad would have me rake dried and green mango leaves and smoke those ants. Not sure if it's a good idea and not harm the bees, to spray malathion around the outer perimeter of the area. To deal with ground ants too. The big black/small red ones. HELP! Ok,,,beekeepers local let's help Brent deal with these ants. I'm sure at one time or another you beekeepers had to deal with this. Take care my friend, God bless.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Thanks for being understanding on my delayed response. It’s been nothing bad, just an incredibly busy week. I didn’t even have time to sit and do a live premier and chat when I released that last video. This week my daughter received her grades from school and that took a whole morning for me in a meeting, then I was selected to be the new president of the elementary school PTA, and that took more time, then my daughter received a special award for achieving 3rd place honors in her class and that took most of a day, and she’s been practicing every day for Filipino folk dancing at school which she will have to perform soon…add in extended family coming to town to celebrate birthdays and I’ve had the most incredible, loving and special week I think I’ve ever had, and it’s not done yet. As for the ants, the bbq and the non stop rain has really knocked them back. I’m happy so far but will be back to check their progress on Tuesday. Wish me luck. I’ll be talking to you soon. Take care.

[@nelsonlomod9601]

You could also try to bind the wooden 2x3 about 3 - 4 inch wide with loose cloth and soak it with used motor oil. This will prevent the ants from getting to the hive

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Nelson, I've had several people mention petroleum products already and I have balked at the idea, because they were suggesting adding it to the water... but the bees are getting used to drinking that water and I don't want them poisoned. Your idea however, seems really sound. The bees wouldn't be attracted to the cloth and the oil probably would keep the ants away. I think the issue is solved (you'll have to keep watching to find out how) but if our "fix" doesn't work, this may be an inexpensive option worth trying. I love your creativity. Thank you for helping me brainstorm this. I really appreciate the help. God bless you my friend! I hope to hear from you again soon. Please keep the comments coming. I look forward to them.

[@D-E-Raptor]

I had an idea but the rebar platform is easier than mine. Many heads produce more and better ideas. Are bees stressed by the atmospheric conditions when moved from one location too another ? I saw so many bees around my garden yesterday that I decided to take your suggestion seriously, so I am talking to someone about building hives and learning this art. Thanks, never stop learning is one of my promises to myself.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

That’s excellent news! I’m so glad you’ve decided to get into beekeeping. You won’t regret it. I really love all the suggestions that come from these comments. It’s a great way to brainstorm ideas and I’m glad you’re getting some ideas too. I’d love to see pictures of your hive stands when you get them. As for stress on the bees when they are moved… as long as they have a reasonably comfortable trip I don’t think they experience much in the way of stress. They seem to adapt rather well once they get moved into their new location. I hope you’ll contact Edwin Madrid when you’re ready to order your bees. I have to say that these are the most gentle bees I’ve ever worked with. God bless you my friend and good luck with the new hobby. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@mllokie9075]

Borax noncented and icing sugar 3 to one icing sugar. Sprinkle where ants are gathering May need to do this several times

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

That’s a good trick to keep in my back pocket. I really appreciate the tip. I think that would work great on ants looking for sugar. Just from my observation it appeared that these ants were looking for a source of protein. They were killing the bees and carting then off. I suppose it’s possible that they wanted the honey too but holy smokes they were willing to fight to the death to get whatever it was they were after. We have had really good luck so far with torching their nests in the trees. I’m just going to try to stay on top of that for now. It seems to be a pretty immediate and terminal solution.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Forgot to say. Thank you again for the comment. I’m looking forward to hearing from you again soon. Please keep the comments coming. God bless you my friend.

[@mllokie9075]

Is good that is what is in ant traps is simple and not harm moast animals

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Absolutely true there. Other than killing the ants that attacked me and the bees I don’t want to harm anything else. God bless you always my friend.

[@sheramsnest1844]

Noy Digoy is so brave… no veil or sleeves .. wow! Poor bees hopefully the ants will leave them alone 🐝

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

That guy is my hero! Nothing bothers him, but I have to say that these are the most relaxed and chilled out bees I've ever handled in my life. I have a good feeling that this is going to have a happy ending. Again, Noy Digoy comes to the rescue. You'll have to keep watching and see what happens...or I can just show you when you get back here next week. LOL I love you baby!

[@ianb3895]

Hi Brent, good temporary fix. How about using those plastic icecream containers instead of the outer and inner pans, maybe will cost less. The "tie down" straps maybe another matter if/when the ants learn to use it as a bridge.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Good point Ian about the straps. I thought about that immediately when I was doing this. I'm going to have to be vigilant in watching them to make sure that doesn't happen. I'm hoping that since everything is pretty elevated off the ground that they won't figure that out for a while. As for the ice cream containers, it seems that you and I are sharing the same brain wave. They are just a bit narrow for what I need. If my bottom boards were not reversible with a 3/4 inch lip on the bottom it would work, but with the lip, they don't balance correctly. I hope you'll keep watching the new videos as they come out. I think this is possibly going to have a happy ending... thanks to Noy Digoy. God bless you my friend. I hope to hear from you again soon.

[@ianb3895]

No worries, pretty entertained and interested in seeing your project succeed. Hope you dont mind me giving suggestions or making observations, its a thing for me. Best to be on the eye out for termites, those are nasty, they can hollow out a hive in a day. Just sayin. Kuya Noy Digoy would have a wizened solution for the issues that may turn up. Till next Brent.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

I never mind suggestions. I really appreciate them. I’m happy to get them. Please keep them coming. I need all the help I can get. I’m new to keeping bees here in this country so please tell me about anything you see. I’m blessed to have you watching and taking your time to share your thoughts with me. God bless.

[@mickeymason55]

Vaseline around the base coming out of the ground might would keep them from climbing up on the platform? Just a thought 💭

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Hey Mickey, that’s a great idea. I would assume that it would help. It’s good logic and I can keep it away from the bees that way. I’m not sure how often I’d have to reapply it. We’ve been having seriously major downpours every day for almost the past month. I think Noy Digoy has the issue managed at the moment (spoiler alert) but if they come back in force this is something I will try. Thank you for the suggestion. I really appreciate it. God bless you my friend.

[@yeroklexi0]

Hi Brent, what if you create a pond 2 by 4 meters and put them on an island. And in the pond some small fishes against Moskitos or other insects?

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

You know what? That sounds absolutely beautiful! I truly can picture that in my mind and I love the idea. If I was a backyard beekeeper satisfied to have 5 hives on my farm to make a little honey and do some pollination for me, I would be on board with that in a minute! I think that could be the most beautiful way to build a bee yard ever thought of! For me though, I plan on splitting these 5 hives into 10, then 20, then 40 and again to 80 as quickly as possible. Can I do it in a year? I'm not sure, but I'm going to see what happens. I just don't think I can build that many ponds and islands efficiently to keep up with my need for space. Thank you for the totally creative and genius idea. If my farm ever turns into a tourist attraction and "eco farm" I might still have to do that for one of the hive stands and put about 5 colonies on it just for show. I'm really floored by what a potentially beautiful idea that is. Man, I wish I had thought of it. LOL. Please keep the ideas and suggestions coming. I love brainstorming with subscribers. You all have such amazing ideas and I'm so blessed to have you taking the time to share them with me. God bless you my friend. I hope to hear from you again soon.

[@sr16gotheextramile51]

Maybe you can secure it more cause it looks like everything will slide even with small wind.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Good observation. After I shot that video I went out the very next day and made it a little more stable. You'll see that in the next video. Thank you so much for the comment. I really appreciate it. I'm getting so many great suggestions today. I'm already planning improved upgrades to what you'll see in the next video. This isn't over by a long shot...but (spoiler alert) I think it's going to have a happy ending thanks to Noy Digoy. That man is a super hero! God bless you my friend. I look forward to hearing from you again soon. Please keep the comments and suggestions coming. I'm not a "know-it-all" and I take suggestions from viewers very seriously...just look at my living fence videos. All inspired by comments from subscribers and it's AWESOME! Take care.

[@whatyourlifestyle998]

Hmmm yes ants are a problem. I to should have forseen your stand problem with ants. Maybe rebar /steel and grease on the steel. It what I used in Australia. We also used ,like your water in tins on the legs of the stands.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

We really think a lot alike. From day one rebar was my first choice for my hive stands and I'm still trying to find a local welder to make them for me to my exact specifications. I only built these this way because they were simple, and similar to what I use in the USA. I knew they weren't perfect but I had no idea the ants here were this fierce! Stay tuned to future videos because I have a feeling that when I start splitting these hives and put in new stands they will be made from rebar. Once I get someone who can build me what I want, I'll build a bunch and have them at the ready. They should be easy to install too. Thank you so much for the support and kind comments and suggestions. I really appreciate all the help. God bless you my friend.

[@davidkeaton340]

Add some dish soap and it break the surface tension and drowning the ants.

[@davidkeaton340]

Well I forgot about the bee`s drinking water from the trays

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Lol. Drowning them sounds like fun. I’d like to hold their heads under water one by one until they all drown. Uhhhh we kinda went the opposite direction with our solution though. Lol wait until I explain the details of that one in an upcoming video.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Yeah and some still fall in and drown but I just convince myself that those are the dumb ones. Lol

[@lightrose100]

Maybe you can dig a ditch around the perimeter and put water

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Great suggestion. I really appreciate it. There is a good chance that before too long I'll install a whole new style of hive stand that can be more easily defended against ants. I haven't quite come up with the perfect solution yet, but I'm mulling some options over in my head all the time and going over the pros and cons. My biggest obstacle is still budget and available materials. This is so much fun for me! I love coming up with new ideas and making them come to life. God bless you my friend. I hope to hear from you again soon. Please keep the suggestions coming. I love reading them and seeing if it's something I can make into a reality.

[@gamerwits4329]

Hey man

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Hey what's up buddy? Thanks for the comment. I'm glad you're out there watching and I hope you enjoyed the video. God bless you my friend.

[@tropicaldreaming9199]

You can also try Diatomaceous Earth I’ve heard of that working on ants and you can use it around bees.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

You know what… I thought of that but I’m not sure if it’s available here. Also I’m glad you had to spell it and not me lol. If I can find it in the agrivet stores I’ll definitely give it a try.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

By the way, thank you so much for the comment and suggestion. I really appreciate the feedback. I love having this opportunity to brainstorm with smart people. There are so many options to choose from. God bless you my friend.

[@gamerwits4329]

It will become a breeding ground for mosquitos. Pour a bit of oil on it.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

I already have so much standing water and a small creek within 20 feet that this little bit of water isn't going to make much of an affect on the mosquito population. I'm staying away from using any petroleum products around the bees too. I have noticed the bees drinking from the pans and I don't want to poison them. Please keep watching the new videos as they come out because I think this is going to have a happy ending (shhhh spoiler alert). God bless you my friend. Please keep the suggestions coming. I really appreciate you.

[@cathymontgomery7295]

I don't thing ants like cinnamon. Try sprinkling some on the wood around your hives.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Cathy, believe it or not, that was the first thing I thought of when I saw the ants. I said to myself, "well, there goes my Costco supply of cinnamon that I shipped over here." Honestly these ants were so mean I don't think it would detract them at all. That has to be one of the most suggested solutions to ant problems in bee club meetings in the USA. I'm not sure if you follow him, but Dr Ellis from the University of Florida Bee Lab ran scientific studies on it or at least reported on findings from others saying it really doesn't work, but almost everyone in the USA does it anyway. It's cheap and easy. Usually beekeepers sprinkle it on top of their inner covers to create a barrier that the ants supposedly don't want to cross to get down into the hive to look for honey. I don't use inner covers though and these ants that I was fighting want protein and they were willing to fight to the death right at the front door to get it. I doubt that they would let a little cinnamon stop them... and since they are trying to go in the front door I'd have to put it outside and in the rain we are having it would just wash away as fast as I put it out. Please keep the comments and suggestions coming. I absolutely love brainstorming these things with everyone. There are so many great ideas! Thank you so much. God bless you my friend. I am truly blessed to have you watching and interacting with me. You're always so supportive and kind. I really look forward to hearing from you.

[@cathymontgomery7295]

Just a thought... do chickens eat ants?

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Honestly, I have no idea. If they do then Noy Digoy's chickens are not doing a very good job. LOL. They are all over the place and I have never watched them closely enough to see what they eat. I'll have to watch them, but every time I get close they run away from me... They run fast from the fat man getting too close. Chickens are not very trusting.

[@wheatontisoy8047]

Mikey Bustos (the ant man), please help this man.

[@eli.capinbxu]

Why ask someone to help Brent in his bee farming? He doesn't even know this man (bustos). Please do not under estimate the capability of an experienced bee man. He knows what to do.

[@kiko69]

Yes you’re right.Is he an expert on bees?He’s just an overrated wannabe!

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Thank you for the suggestion Wheaton. I love the suggestion and call for help. I really appreciate it. You're very kind to make the call for help. I have to say though that this week I've learned something and it looks like I've been able to overcome another obstacle. I hope you'll keep watching the next videos in the series and find out what happened. God bless you my friend.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Hey Eli. Wow, I'm so overwhelmed by your support and confidence. I really appreciate your words. You'll be happy to hear that this has been a challenging week and I've learned a few new things. I feel really confident that this is going to work out well. I hope you'll keep watching the series and see how it all plays out. Thank you for your support. God bless you my friend. Take care and I look forward to hearing from you again soon.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Francisco, gosh, I'm not sure what brought that on. I've made no claims of being an expert at anything, and I've repeatedly said that I'm learning new things in the Philippines every day. The insects are different here than what I'm used, to, the birds are different, the terrain is different, the soil is different. I have been visiting here for 19 years but I just moved here in August. I haven't had time to learn everything yet. I'm learning as I go. I've been very transparent about what I know and what I don't know. I've been very grateful for the positive feedback and suggestions and insight that I've gotten from these comments in all my videos. The bees have only been here a week. Why don't you go back and watch my old videos and keep watching the new ones if you want to see how I handle myself in the bee yard. My whole purpose for being here is to simply start a business to support my family and maybe give back to the community and provide good employment and a quality product that seems to be in high demand. I'm not a wannabe anything except for provider for my family and community. God bless you my friend.

[@chasvonplatten1298]

Just began watching this, so not sure the solution you are about to try. However, is there any reason that you could not either place the hives on a block in a pool of water like an island? Or perhaps suspend them from a branch or a-frame with wire? Guess ants might find their way down a wire, but not across the pool of water to an island base. Edit: Okay, great minds think alike. You may want to buy a couple of kiddie pools and place blocks in center so you dint beed to refill every day

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Hey Chad. Thank you for the comment. I’ve been off grid for a few days. Sorry for the late response. Yeah, we are doing a few things to try to defeat the ants. We even invited them to a barbecue which seems to have really helped a lot. Not Digoy lives right there and he has been making sure the pans are always full but with the nonstop rain we’ve had that hasn’t been an issue. I appreciate the suggestions and hope you’ll keep watching to see how all this works out. God bless you my friend.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Sorry… Chas. Autocorrect got me again.

[@nelsonlomod9601]

You will find a lot of boric acid bait preparation on the internet

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

LOL, I need to read all your comments before I respond. LOL. I'll definitely check it out. I think I do remember people making it with crisco...which by the way I can't get here in my town. I went to find some last week when I wanted to make homemade tortillas for fajitas on the Blackstone and it just doesn't exist in our local stores. I substituted real butter and it worked just fine by the way. Thanks buddy! Talk to you soon.

[@johnnyrodrigues5131]

How do I contact you 10:23 got some bee hives with black bees. I wanted to send a picture of the 2 we have

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Hey Johnny, you can always email me at [e-mail] I’d love to see your pictures. Where are you located? Are you also here in the Philippines?

[@johnnyrodrigues5131]

I met you at the veterans park in Baybay City.

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

@johnnyrodrigues5131 cool! I remember. Send me an email and any questions. God bless you my friend.

[@lightrose100]

put some engine oil in the water, those ants uses Pole vault to get across

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

Oh my gosh! That's hilarious! If those ants learn to pole vault I'm going to lose my mind. They really do fascinate me. I'm going to avoid the urge to use chemicals or petroleum around the bees though. The bees often land near the water in those pans and take a drink. I don't want to take the chance on poisoning them. It's one thing if something in nature takes my bees down, it's another if I accidentally kill them myself. I couldn't live with myself if I did that. Thank you for the suggestion though. I really appreciate it. Please keep them coming. I really like the funny ones. Pole vaulting is classic!

[@shawnlee3997]

Buy chickens they love ants

[@beekeepinginparadise5935]

I’ve heard that and we actually already have chickens that belong to Noy Digoy and there were too many ants. Luckily burning the nests seems to have solved the problem for now. God bless you always my friend. Take care.