Ants, geckos and spiders: the three that take colonies

Beginners worry about disease. In practice, colonies in the tropics are lost to being eaten and being invaded far more often than to illness. These three account for most of the damage.

Ants — the most dangerous

Once ants are inside a box it can be over in a night. They take honey, eat larvae, and a stingless bee colony has almost no defence. Early signs: an ant trail up a stand leg, small dead bees scattered around the box, disordered entrance traffic.

The fix is mechanical. Stand each leg in a cup of water — the cheapest and most effective method there is. The cups evaporate quickly in dry weather, so top them up weekly. A grease band around each leg works too. Never spray insecticide near the hive.

Geckos and lizards

They sit beside the entrance and pick off bees as they come and go, a few at a time over months. The colony declines with no obvious cause. Signs: lizards around the box in the evening, droppings near the entrance.

The fix: clear away dry leaves and anything they can hide behind, and keep the box at least a hand's width from any wall.

Spiders

Webs across the entrance catch bees as they leave. Individually minor, cumulatively real. Clear webs weekly when you pass the stand.

The general rule: keep the ground clear

Most predators need cover. A clean ring of bare ground around the stand — no dry leaves, no tall grass, no piled-up objects — removes most of the risk at no cost.

Frequently asked

Should I use ant powder around the stand?

No. Stingless bees are highly sensitive to chemicals, and ant treatments kill the colony faster than the ants. Water cups and grease bands are the only methods to use.

Ants are already inside — can the colony be saved?

If caught early and the colony still has numbers, yes: move it to a clean box on a clean stand, redo the ant defence, then leave it alone for several weeks. If most of the brood is gone, usually not.

Do stingless bees get diseases?

They do, but far less often than honey bees. Most cases described as disease turn out on inspection to be the consequence of predators, damp or lack of forage.