Ant Barrier for bee hives

thingiverse

This is an ant barrier device designed to keep ants out of a bee hive. Four are required, each mounting on a four inch 3/8-16 threaded rod. The lower part of the ant barrier will hold mineral oil. All gaps are precisely 1/2 inches wide. To enter the hive, the ant must climb the threaded rod, then ascend the oil cup before being confronted with a 1/2 inch wide pool of oil that it cannot cross. As a result, ants are unable to enter the hive. These devices have proven 100% effective in keeping ants out of my bee hives. The cover is designed to discourage bees from entering the ant barrier, and should be printed in black to avoid attracting them. The central holes are 3/8 inches in diameter, but I discovered that threading the plastic allows the threaded rod to hold the parts securely in place. A hex nut can be used beneath the ant trap for added stability. It's essential that the threaded rod extends at least half an inch below the assembled ant trap to prevent ants from climbing directly to the outside cover. The rods mentioned above are integral components of a hive stand, which is constructed from inexpensive two foot sections of 1/2 inch and 3/8 inch rebar from a local home supply store. The rebar is welded together to support the hive. On each corner of the weld, a 3/8-16 hex nut was welded in place. The threaded rod threads vertically into the hex nut, providing additional support for the hive. This hive stand was initially designed to facilitate easy leveling of the hive and provide an unobstructed space underneath it. Later, this ant barrier was developed to keep ants from entering the hive. While a few ants can be handled by the bees, a large infestation poses a significant threat to the health of the colony. In our case, we had multiple starter hives with 3 pound bee packages (1 queen, 3 lbs bees, approximately 10,000 bees) that were overrun by ants. Not only do these pests steal honey from the hive, but they also carry off the valuable bee larvae.