According to the Dictionary Britannica, bees are winged insects very closely related to ants and wasps. They are best known for their role in pollination, particularly bees. Honeybees are any group of insects in the family Apindae (order Hymenoptera) which in a broad sense includes all kinds of bees.
In this article, I will be shedding light on bees which give honey and are called honeybees and where to locate them. Secondly, I will be mentioning a few of the methods explaining ‘how to get rid of bees’. Thirdly, I will explain how and why bees are an important component of our nature and environment and how it is advantageous for a variety of plants and flowers.
Table of Contents
Strictly speaking, honeybee applies to one of the seven members of the genus Apis. They can be found anywhere in the world from homes in rural and urban centers to wild plants or forests and in wilderness. There are various kinds of bees; some are called western honeybees, stingless bees, and bumblebees etc.
Honeybees live in colonies headed by a Queen. Queen leads them in times of well-wishes and in times of crisis. Just like the fragmentation of human beings in the different structures of society, bees live in a community with a clear demarcation of division of labor which depends on the nature or sex of the bee.
For example, worker honeybees are all females and do the work assigned to them by the queen. You will be surprised to hear that worker honeybees are the only bees most people see flying around the outside of the hive. These workers fly outside the hive, looking for food, building the honeycombs and most importantly protecting the hive.
Related Article: How to Get Rid of Woodpeckers
Division of Honeybees
Zoologists and other scientists divide the members of the hive into three categories:
Workers: They go in search of food and collect pollen and nectar from flowers. They build the hive and do the job of protecting the hive from any foreign threat.
The Queen: She is the leader of the team. Her job is simple. Her job is to lay eggs and reproduce the next generation of bees. But what if the Queen dies? If it happens, the worker will create a queen by giving special food to one of the female workers and make her the Queen. This special food is called “royal jelly”.
Drones: The third class of honeybees is male Drones. Hundreds of Drones live in a single hive during the spring and summer season. But they are expelled from the hives when winter comes. It is because the hive goes into a lean survival mode.
Bees are important Pollinators
Bees are one of the best pollinators for flowers fruits and vegetables. Honeybees are essential to our ecosystem because they help plant growth by consuming pollen. As you can all imagine the summer and ward climate bring back pool parties, barbecues and honeybees as well.
If you have a bunch of these bees around your corner, be careful because they can cause you economic, social and ecological problems. Here I am about to give you guaranteed tips and tricks on how to get rid of the bees that often visit your pool or lawn.
Significance of Bees
Being humans, we are all engaged in a community collectively through our socio-economic system and individually with our fellow human beings. Participating in outdoor activities is almost a part of everyone`s hobby. During summertime, doing any outdoor activity in front of your house can prompt a bee to feel threatened.
As they are very sensitive this threat may lead to chasing you or even stinging. But we still want these honeybees in our environment. They are really good for the growth of plants including flowers. They are responsible for pollinating a variety of crops such as almonds, apples, blackberries, blueberries, melons, squash and cranberries.
It feels like we want these little industrious creatures for our beautiful flowers. But sometimes these tiny beautiful creatures become too much comfortable and hence create problems. Therefore, today I am giving you a basic step-by-step guide on how to get away with bees.
Where to look for Bees
From wild forests to human settlements, bees are found everywhere. You must have observed that almost all of the time; bees are doing their own work such as looking out for food and raising a family. You must ensure that their nest is not near your house or in any hole on the back side of your wall.
If, by chance, you find out, you must take action. You must note that many bees are solitary and can be found in nests on the ground. But you can also find their nest in hollow stems or in buildings. So it is important to locate the beehive first and then take my step-by-step guide to get away with the bees.
How to Get Away with Bees
If you go to the search bar of Google and type these words, hundreds of links will pop up and they will give you many methods to get rid of honeybees. There is so much unfiltered information that we cannot process. This large unfiltered information has confused us that’s why what I am going to tell you in these pages will be very simple, sustainable, economical and very humane. Therefore, I am showing you four different methods which are effective and economical as well.
No. 1: How to get rid of bees Naturally
First of all, let me tell you that I love inquisitive minds who keep on asking questions. So this question must be popping into your mind why should you prefer natural materials to deter bees? As I have mentioned before, we are all humans and part of the larger universe. Humans, plants, and animals including bees are part of nature.
We don’t need to kill them or harm them because they are significant to our environment. Thus, in order to get rid of bees without killing them, using natural materials will not deteriorate our environment in any way and will keep the surroundings habitable. There are different methods to use natural materials to get away with bees. Some of them are explained as under:
Set out Cucumber Peels to Discourage Bees
Just like us, honeybees have a liking for specific flowers or plants such as bright floral flowers and a dislike for some other plants. Using cucumber might not kill bees but it is really helpful in keeping bees away. The chemical composition of cucumber is such that it has an acid that scares away and repels the bees and wasps as well. So, it is pretty simple.
You can just peel 1 or 2 cucumbers (depending on how many bees there are in your house) and leave the peelings around the edges of the patio. If the bees are not in your house, you can peel cucumbers and keep them on an outdoor table. If bees are becoming a problem for you, you can plant one or more cucumber plants in your garden. This way it will add beauty to your garden and keep the bees away.
Planting Bee-Deterring Herbs
You will be surprised to hear that there are some common herbs that we use daily in our daily routines. These herbs are commonly bee-deterring. The bees will not like these herbs but planting these herbs in your garden can add beautification and smell to your home garden.
Common bee-deterring herbs: common bee-deterring herbs include vanilla, cinnamon, peppermint, and garlic. In case, you want bees outside of your territory make use of these plants. We use some of these plants in our food but they can also add a beautiful smell and beauty to your garden.
No. 2: Bee-Proofing Eatables
Previously, we have used natural materials to get away with bees. In this section, I am going to show you other methods as well. So, bear with me. It’s going to be a very interesting read.
Bee-Proofing your Food Items
As you have observed, sometimes bees become too much comfortable with humans and could create difficulties. The first thing that you need to do is to bee-proof your specific spots such as picnic spots, pool sides, or dining table areas. You should not be around a bee hive if you want your hangout to go smoothly. Avoid setting in those places which are near to bee hive. You also need to avoid those places which attract bees. These include; Trash cans Tall grass ( often contains bee hive) Vacant sheds Unused playgrounds 4: Ensure that your food is sealed
We all know that the smell power of some insects and animals is way more complex than humans. For example, honeybees can see various patterns of colour as compared to the human eye. If your food is not sealed and the pack is uncovered then I assure you by now bees will be there roaming around your food. If you want to not attract bees, make sure you seal your food items so that no bee can smell it and make it dirty.
Dump your Trash Away
You must have listened to that buzzing sound when you are going to dump your trash outside your house. Worker female honeybees fly around in search of food and upon smelling come and investigate the smell followed by floods of other bees. If you want to get away with the bees and not invite these uninvited guests to your place you must first dump your trash immediately. Keep in mind to seal the pack perfectly to avoid bees.
No. 3: Ensuring a Controlled Environment
Providing a controlled environment is another safe method to get rid of bees in house or outside, for which several types of strategies can be sorted out. However, some notable arrangements are as follows: -
Avoid using Pleasant Smells
Just like humans, bees are also part of nature. Similar to humans, they also like some smells. There are smells that can be pleasant both for humans and bees. Therefore, it is important for you to avoid using pungent-smelling foods in an important event because you would not like it if bees attacked your food in front of guests. In order to get rid of bees, you must avoid serving foods that are pleasant for bees.
Avoid Displaying Bright Color Patterns
Honeybees are attracted to sweet smells and bright colors. I have told you that bright colours of plants, animals and even human attires can attract bees. So you must avoid such colours near your house or on your eating tables. This way the bees will not interfere in your personal space.
Getting Rid of Flowers
By now, this must be in your mind that bees are the most important pollinators of flowers, plants and other bright floral flowers. So in order to repel bees away from your own personal space, you must avoid flowers near your dining table or in your garden. In this way, the bees will automatically get away from you.
No. 4: (DIY) Homemade Remedy - Bee Spray
If you are in your home and do not have time or do not have the means to go to market then this is the perfect place for you. I am going to show you local and innovative homemade remedies to get away with bees. Stay with me and read it carefully.
Spray your Plant with Soap Solutions
From the above reading, it has come to your attention by now, that bees are very sensitive and susceptible to chemicals. If you wish to keep them away, it is the easiest way to make a mild soap solution and spray them on your plants and flowers. But you must keep in mind to not use detergents that are harmful to insects or bees and kill them.
My motive is to show you ways to get away with bees and like true humans you need not kill these beautiful small creatures. So make sure to not use detergent that has bleach which is very dangerous for insects.
Spray Garlic Solutions in Your Home
By now, I am perfectly sure that you know the smell of garlic is repellent for bees. You must have noticed that we use garlic in our everyday meals. From barbecues to making sticks, soup, or any other meal we always use garlic because of its smell and the taste it creates in the meal.
Bees are attracted to the smell of some plants but the smell of garlic solution can repel bees from your house. Spraying garlic solution on flowers and plants in your garden can effectively repel bees away from your house.
Conclusion
Just like human beings and other organisms, bees are part of nature. Bees are social animals living in communities headed by the female Queen. There is also a visible demarcation of the division of labour. Honeybees have the capacity to differentiate between color patterns. And that is why they are more attracted to those flowers which are sweet and bright. There are various advantages of bees as they are the best source of pollinating flowers and plants. With its help plant grows.
However, in this article, I have also shared my insight on how to get rid of bees in your house or otherwise. I explained four effective methods on how to get rid of bees. These methods include; getting rid of honey bees by using natural materials and bee-proofing eatables. The third and fourth methods are like a homemade remedies which we can use in our homes without deteriorating our natural environment. Lastly, I have also described homemade sprays and their effects on honey bees. I hope you have learnt much from this article and this is your step-by-step guide on how to get away with bees.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How to get rid of bees with vinegar?
Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and other compounds that may include flavouring. It can be used for cooking, baking and pest control. If you want to repel bees then you need to make a vinegar solution. Various brands of apple cider vinegar use an active component called malic acid. So, vinegar that includes malic acid as its basic ingredient can be mixed with water to form a solution. Your homemade recipe is ready. Now you can spray vinegar solutions to your plants or flowers in order to get away with bees.
What is the quickest way to get rid of bees?
According to Fantastic Pest Control, the most common and effective ways to get rid of bees are the usage of Mint, Neem, Citronella, Eucalyptus and Cloves. Using these natural things is very economical and easy to obtain. This is the natural and environment-friendly way to get rid of the bees.
What makes bees go away?
There are different ways to apply so that bees go away in no time. Bees have a distaste for different kinds of oil which include olive oil, vegetable oil, citronella oil, lavender oil, lemon, and lime. There could be many other things to include but these are the most common things that the bees have distaste for. You can apply oil on your body so that to get away with bees.
What kills bees right away?
There are many ways to kill a bee instantly. However, I am a nature and animal lover and I will not even think of killing innocent bees. But if you think bees are problematic for you then here is an instant trick to kill a bee instantly. The effective way to kill bees right away is to use chemical spray.
Nonetheless, if you are dealing with a nest of bees, I personally recommend you call a professional. Several scents such as mint, lemon, vinegar and garlic repel bees. You can also create your own homemade DIY spray. Mix water and essential oil scents to make your spray, shake it and spray near areas where bees are residing. You will observe within minutes how effective chemical sprays are when it comes to killing bees.
What home remedy keeps bees away?
There are several home remedies to keep bees away from home. I personally recommend home remedy solutions because most of them are environment-friendly and do not kill bees. You can plant a cucumber plant in your garden. Cucumber contains an acid which is bee-repellent. If you have many bees you can plant 2-4 cucumber plants. It will add beauty to your garden and will help you keep bees away.
What colours do bees hate?
As I have discussed earlier bees can see patterns of color which humans cannot. There are colours which attract bees and there are some repelling colours which keep the bees away. Darker colors such as red appear black to bees and as we know black is the absence of colors bees don’t like to sit on plants with red hues.
What smells are bees attracted to?
At the outset, I have talked about the smells that repel bees. Since the main function of honeybees is that they are the best pollinator. They suck the nectar because it is sweet in taste. So it makes sense that bees are attracted to sugars and fragrances that are flowery and smell sweet. That is the reason you observe bees near flowery or sweet smells.
How do I get rid of bees nesting in my house walls?
In order to remove the bees properly, the beekeeper is supposed to open the wall to remove the entire colony. If the wall outside is of brick, it will require opening the wall from the inside.
