This is a tricky one, because whatever method is used must be temporary enough that it poses no risk to the bees that will eventually populate the hive. A good first step is to confidently identify the pest in question, because different pests are managed in different ways. You want to make sure that you are dealing with termites because they are commonly mistaken for ants, but can be distinguished by a number of features, as seen in the table below.

Termites can also be distinguished from ants by their nest structure. The termites found in NY are subterranean termites; they nest in the ground but tunnel into wood to eat it. They leave mud residue in their tunnels in the wood and may build mud tunnels to connect above-ground wood to their underground nests. In contrast, ants such as carpenter ants or moisture ants nest in wood (especially wet, rotted wood) but do not eat the wood; ants would not create the mud tubes, and generally their tunnels in the wood look relatively clean rather than “muddy.”

If your offending insects are carpenter ants, then the easy fix is to put bees in your hive. Carpenter ants nest in wood, but do not eat it and must venture out to find food. They are also extremely slow to build their colonies, which would suggest that this is a satellite colony connected to an old, established colony somewhere else. Honeybees will not tolerate them sharing hive space and will kill the workers when they emerge to search for food. I have experienced carpenter ants nesting between the inner cover and outer cover of a beehive before, and simply adding small spacers so that there is enough space for the bees to get into that space and evict them solved the problem within a matter of minutes.

If the offending insects are subterranean termites, then the main nest would be in the ground beneath the hive and the activity seen would mainly be foraging activity, the presence of mud tubes; breaking ground contact and ensuring that the wood in the hive is dry and free from rot should effectively solve the problem without need for any further action. Keep in mind that subterranean termites will build mud shelter tubes to bridge short distances between the ground and a good food source. However, building a hive stand out of materials that termites cannot eat (e.g. pressure-treated wood, brick, concrete, metal, etc.) and in a way that allows you to easily and routinely inspect for and destroy mud tubes could effectively sever the ground-wood connection that the termites need to feed on the hive.

Note that most sources strongly recommend professional assistance when dealing with termites, though in this case I would attempt a non-chemical DIY solution because the cost of professional termite treatment is likely to exceed the value of a vacant beehive. However, subterranean termites are also remarkably nomadic, with the entire colony constantly moving through the soil in search of accessible wood, so a colony feeding on a hive in the yard might eventually pose a threat to your house. Therefore, it would be a good idea to periodically inspect your home for signs of termite damage or mud tubes and/or to work with a pest control professional to regularly inspect your house. You can also talk with the pest control company about having a preventive soil treatment or bait placements installed around your home.

In general, liquid termiticides are injected into soil and remain active for long periods of time (usually 5+ years), so termiticides definitely cannot be applied to the hive itself without rendering the hive hazardous to bees. A soil application of liquid termiticide to the ground underneath the hive would probably provide an acceptable solution, but I would recommend focusing on an appropriate hive stand to break ground contact for several reasons: the hive stand could be more cost-effective (especially if you are somewhat handy and can make it yourself), would definitely pose no danger to the bees, would offer a permanent solution, and may increase the effectiveness of IPM measures against Varroa mites and small hive beetles, such as screened bottom boards.

Before applying any pesticide, beehives would need to be listed on the pesticide product label as a site in order for that product to be applied to a beehive. Be sure to carefully read all label instructions (including safety precautions) prior to purchasing and using any pesticide. Because New York’s pesticide regulations are somewhat different from than Pennsylvania’s, we would recommend contacting the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Bureau of Pesticides Management Program (https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/298.html) with any questions you may have prior to purchasing and using a pesticide product in or around a beehive. Jeanine Broughel would be a contact at the DEC who is in charge of product registration at <personal data hidden> or<personal data hidden>.

Other contacts may include your Cornell Extension county office:

• Website: https://blogs.cornell.edu/ccecayuga/#.YFtU1dwpBaQ
• Phone:<personal data hidden>
• Email: <personal data hidden>
  
  
• Lewis: Beekeeping and Honey: http://ccelewis.org/agriculture/beekeeping-honey
• Chemung: Beekeeping Resources: http://chemung.cce.cornell.edu/agriculture/beekeeping-resources
• Wyoming: Honey and Beekeeping: http://wyoming.cce.cornell.edu/agriculture/program-areas/honey-beekeeping
• https://extension.psu.edu/carpenter-ants
• https://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/ants/carpenter-ants/
• https://extension.psu.edu/eastern-subterranean-termites
• https://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/termites/subterranean-termites/

Additional information about bees on other Cornell Extension County web pages:

Here are some other resources on carpenter ants and eastern subterranean termites:

Sorry for the lengthy reply; if you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out.

Thank you,

Jamie Kopco
Penn State Extension Educator

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