246 THE BEEKEEPERS' REVIEW 



red) ants, will usually be under a stone, or log, or in the roots of a 

 decaying tree, or even in the ground, without any other shelter than 

 the earth itself. They make no mound, of any considerable size, 

 but merely a series of holes, opening into the ground, connected by 

 runs underneath the surface. If none are to be seen nearer than 

 500 feet from the yard, no danger need be apprehended; for we 

 have not known ants to be dangerous farther than that, seldom 

 farther than two hundred feet from the yard, even, are they very 

 likely to send out a foraging force that will prove dangerous to bees. 

 When none are visible, nests we mean, then trace them from a hive 

 that they are visiting, better at night; if a well established line is 

 already in evidence, it will be comparatively easy to follow it by 

 means of a lantern. When the nest, or the nests, are located, then 

 the best way to dispose of the marauders (for they are nothing 

 less), is to dig a hole down to about the center of their run, punch- 

 ing it with a round thick stick, sharpened at the end, like a dibble. 

 Then place a piece of cotton large as your hand, thoroughly satur- 

 ated with carbon bisulphide, in this hole, and cover quickly with 

 earth again. Let it alone for a few days and if ants are still seen 

 coming out, even in lessened numbers, repeat the dose ; this ought 

 to do them up, usually the first application. Of course if they are 

 in a house foundation, or under it, or in a tree root, or old stump 

 that is not rotten, it is harder to get the poisonous fumes right at 

 the ants. Sometimes boring into a stump will answer as well. We 

 did it once even in the foundations of our house by pouring in the 

 poison with a little eye dropper, and then corking up the hole with 

 a small piece of beeswax. We "did 'em up," all right ! We have 

 tried gasolene and kerosene, even to setting the latter on fire, but it 

 takes many more applications to clear all the ants out of a nest, 

 than with carbon. We like the carbon best of all. Try it, if you 

 have never done so, you who suffer from these pests. Another 

 good plan, if the nests cannot be located, and the only plan then, is 

 to paint the bottom boards of the hives, all possibly, or at least those 

 where the ants are coming, with carbolineum, once every night for a 

 week, then rarer, as the ants cease their depredations. If the ants 

 are attacking the cover, or making their nests under the cover and 

 the secondary cover (as they often do on the coast), then a daub 

 of the carbolineum under the hive cover, on each corner between 

 the super cover and hive cover, will aid materially. They do not 

 like this carbolineum, not a little bit! We keep a supply of it on 

 hand in a jug about the bee yard all the time. After all "eternal 

 vigilance is the price of success," with ants as with anything else 



