Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-09-07
ANTS VS. BEES.
A Practical Beekesper Gives Some
Hints on the Latest Fest
and Its Remedy.

Ccsrupondeucs Dtiersi Ner'.
SALT LAKE Cry, Sept. !, 1898.
Many good points have been brought
out through the agitation Of this anl
question. They have come ~ new
enemy or pest to the beeksepera 10
some localities, within tbs last two OF
three year.; hence some Of our bee
keepers have lost many OF their bees
before they woke up 10 the fact that
the ants were iujuring their bees. On
OF about two hundred betkepeu that J
have visited this summer have founu
ants In from 20 TO % places and IN =
few pisces they were very troublesome.
visited one man three times and not
until the ants had destroyed more than
bali Of bis bees could couvincs him
Of the havoc they were making; bat he
IL now keeping them %, a. | have,sDd
he says that the lees are getting along
oil right.
While have not been able to fud
anything yet that will cAierminate
them entirely, I have succeeded IN
keeping them from the hives by max
ing stands 10 sci the hives on. II the
ground IL nearly level, take six posis
about foot long with threu cross
pieces aud two long scantling tor each
stand, then 1 paint two inch ring
around each post. fitst USED tar but
1t dries too quick. Now,aiier many
experiments, aflor putting on two or
three coats Of tar to form bly, |
used a mixture OF about $40 lard, $40
a.. grease, $40 tar aud a little over
l.iO white lead. The ante WON'T 20 over
this-it will keep on million
ps.nay q one. After It has hal two OF
three costs 1t Will keep them oil nvo or
Elk weeks sometimes without renew
ing. II II IL vofy hot aud there Ia 1T
Ito or no shade, add little more tar
aud white lead. since l nave uscd
this mixture 1 have not lost any bees
with ants except once Ia whlie oue
that they nAy catch on the ground, u
they once get hold VI bes they never
lie, 70 while there IN ANY life lett.
Then ants have been having thiuga
pretty much their own way lUug
enough. We have fow rod aute,
also some largo dying ones, but II IL
these little black pests that are n terror
40 our bees, Ons kind ~ less than u
an inch long, the other 10 about 3 10 OF
nm Inch, 1 nave htar that some one
wrote la one Of our bev papefs, sIuo time
AgU, that the ants uid not 1 lure TIE
bee bee tuse the bee carried them Oh.
This il n mistake. While iti true
that the bee often fios of with the
ant, the Journey ends In the death OF
the bee. while the Insignificant little
Villain that gets free ride IL ready for
action wherever he may land. Some
people think the bees have tendency
10 spreai the ants In this way. Onr
thing IL certhin--when they once get
started In a hive they soou clean out
the bees IL they are left alone, aud
then they have picnic carrying Oh
the honey. OF course each ant carries
hut small load, but they generally
get force enough TO make short WORK
vi II.
While 1 have millions II ants lefi
yet that would be glad 10 dispose II
at any price, do not think
that 1 have over ons.tenth M many ~
had last year. l have tried great
many things that | have seen IN
print, such AZ poisoning and no forth. |
nave caught a great many with honey
and water; but the II es also like 10 anu
crowd in the pan or pail, while tho
Aunts, being OF greedy and pug
naclous nature, hs they run nrou nj the
pail, never miss n chaucs TO make q
dash at the ny; but they miss the III
and their holu at the same time.
have caught mass OF aunts half an
inch thick this way, also many yellow.
Jackets aud moths.
There has been n great deal Of com.
PLANT this year by some Of our bee
keepers OF the destruction oaLsed BY
those yellow sckuts or wAsps, aud also
OF the moth. Neither OF those posts eau
do any harm " the SwRrms OF bees
are all strong; especially II the Gu.
trance 10 the hive IN ourtailod 10 about
thTes.fourths OF An inch. l had a
weak swarm, the fret Of any which
were attacked by these yellow jackets.
saw that tn, latter were getting the
best OF the night. When 1 examined
tue hive / found the bees hal n fertile
worker but no queen. | stuck them
into another hive, then tho yellow
Jackets tried their best 70 get into tho
other hives but without success. The
few that did succeed in getting ia
were toon killed and carried out again.
The only advantage the yellow.j aok.
cts have IN that they get around earlier
IN the morning than tho tees, but n
the bees are strong they will econ ret
rid OF them.
But return to the ants againi have
had the best success with boiling water
aud burning with coal oil; Stacked
lime ana coal ashes are good 70 spresd
around 10 keep this ants away from tue
vicinity Of the hives. While We have
acts here in Utah our friend DaJto
Of California, knocks us out entirely,
botn for siEs aud quantity. We grace
fully surrender our claim ami wish Mr..
Dayton SUCCESS In his efforts ~ eNter'
inmate them. Il. s. I.ovEsY.