Unwanted visitors

I took the roof off Hive E today. This is the late swarm from 2016 which is housed in a small derelict greenhouse.

I had put an insulating box between the brood box and the roof. I'd seen ants going up and down the hive. What I hadn't expected was that the ants had set up a nest in the insulated roof. There were lots of black ants, some eggs and a few immature grubs.

I can see now that the insulated roof would be ideal for an ant nest. Defensible; warm, well ventilated and with an immense food store nearby.

I took the insulating box off - the colony doesn't need it now anyway - and put a super on. I put the ant colony under a pot with the straw which they'd made their nest in. It may be interesting later in the season.

The insulation was damp, particularly near the ant nest. I suspect that these insulating ekes need to come off in spring.