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Ants do not typically cause damage, but instead, raid the hive for honey stores. However, some species will invade a hive to establish a colony; they will then destroy comb, brood, honey, and pollen storage. This may cause the colony to abscond.

First, eliminate the way the ants are getting in; raise the hive off of the ground and eliminate all brush around the hive. Keep the hive strong and they will keep the ants under control. Place a sticky barrier around the hive that ants cannot cross (oil, vaseline, etc).

If ants appear to be going into the hive, try ground cinnamon. Sprinkle some around the hive and on the inner cover. Ants don't like cinnamon but the bees don't mind. You can also put the hive on a stand with legs that sit inside cans that have oil in them; the ants will crawl up, and down, and drown in the oil.