If you’re like most homeowners, you value your home’s peace and tranquility. Unfortunately, the presence of bees can interrupt the serenity of your abode. Not to worry though. With a few smart strategies, you can learn to buzz bees off and make sure that you and your family remain safe. In this article, we’ll look at how you can keep bees away from your home.
1. Bees: Not-So-Welcome House Guests
It’s a normal summer day. The sun is out, the garden is bright and green, and you’re opening the backdoor to get some fresh air. But to your surprise, you find a swarm of bees just waiting outside!
As cute as they may look from afar, bees are not always appreciated when they wander indoors.
- Reasons why bees become unwelcome house guests:
- Most people are not knowledgeable enough to safely remove them without potentially getting stung
- Having a large number of bees indoors can be intimidating
- Bees eating food from the pantry can be a real nuisance
- Allergies, as even a single bee sting can mean medical emergencies for those who are sensitive to their stings
Despite all of this, there are ways to live with bees in your home. If there’s a beehive or a nest nearby, consult your local beekeeping society for help. With the right know-how, you can even relocate the bee’s nest somewhere else and help support the local bee population.
In the end, while honeybees may often come across as unwelcome house guests, they are actually quite helpful to our ecosystems. Bee populations are also in decline due to various causes such as disease, parasites, and human activity. So, depending on the situation, you might just have to learn to appreciate and live with the little yellow fellows.
2. Keeping Bees at Bay: Tips and Tricks
Living in the countryside or a wooded area means dealing with the presence of bees or wasps, and people need to be aware of how to keep these insects away from their homes. Here are some tips and tricks you can use to keep bees and wasps away.
- Use strong smells: Bees and wasps alike are deterred by strong odors such as garlic, eucalyptus oil, and citrus oils.
- Relocate their nests: If you find a nest on your property, contact professionals to have it removed, as this is the safest solution.
- Set traps: Place bee traps to eradicate the hive and keep the surrounding area away from its inhabitants. A jar filled with apple cider vinegar, sugar, and a little dish soap can be used as bait for these traps.
It is also important to take steps to prevent the bees from returning in the future. Ensure that all holes and crevices are closed and any vegetation close to the home is well-maintained, as bees mainly take up residence where there is easy access to nectar and pollen. Additionally, installing yellow sticky traps with light-colored lures can help to prevent bees and wasps from entering your home.
By taking the tips mentioned above, you can effectively keep bees and wasps away from your home and keep your family safe.
3. Banish Bees with Natural Repellents
Bees play an important role in the environment, however sometimes their presence can become annoying. The good news is that there are ways to repel bees naturally and without causing them any harm.
- Cinnamon – Bees do not like the smell of cinnamon. Its scent can act as a natural repellent and can easily be added to other items to make them more repellent to bees.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract has a strong scent that bees find unpleasant, making it an effective, natural repellent. Combine it with water and spray the solution around the area of the bee’s nest.
- Mint – Mint has long been used as a natural bee repellent. Drop some essential oilmint into a spray bottle filled with water and spray it around the affected area.
Dried herbs can also be employed to repel bees. Sage, thyme, basil, lavender, and rosemary all have scents that bees dislike, so mix some of these herbs into your own repellent concoction.
Another great natural way to deter bees is by using citrus. The astrigent scent of citrus fruits such as oranges, limes, grapefruit, and lemons can help keep bees away from your home.
4. Make Your Home Less of a Beehive
Though we love having our homes full of family, friends and activity, it’s not good for the soul (or our pocketbooks) having it too busy. To , here are a few tips:
- Open Up – Incorporate more open and airy spaces in your living area. Ditch the dividers and bulky furniture that makes the area seem cluttered and cramped.
- Above and Beyond – Soaring ceilings can make a home feel bigger. If you’re doing a remodel, consider raising the first floor, and using the newly created space to add another bedroom or even an office.
- Stow Away – If somebody can’t see it, it’s not taking up any space. Utilize storage boxes, bins and compartments everywhere – closets, shelves, floors – for items that need to be stored away.
Dealing with the constant motion of people coming and going in your home can have a negative impact on its overall atmosphere. As mentioned before, one of the best options for reducing that chaotic energy is creating an open living space. This helps to give the home a truly inviting and spacious feeling; not only physically, but also emotionally.
Another important factor is organization. By making sure that items are put away in sturdy and efficient containers, the amount of clutter in your living space is reduced significantly. This also goes a long way in helping your home to be less of a beehive. Finally, if you’re planning a remodel, raise the first-floor ceilings and add more width to the room. This opens up more space, allowing the light to become an active fixture in the home.
5. Deter Bees from Entering Your Property
Nobody likes to find bees on their property, particularly when you’re in the middle of having a picnic with your family. To avoid this from occurring, there are a few preventative measures you should consider implementing.
- Eliminate sources of food and water: Make sure no food is left outdoors or in covered-up trash cans. Have a bee-proof trash can and avoid leaving pet food dishes outside. Bees can be attracted to sources of water, so make sure to clean and fill all bird baths and fountains, and fix any dripping faucets.
- Seal access points: Be sure to repair any holes or cracks in your home and fill any gaps that may be around window sills or doors. Make sure to repair areas where sunlight enters through the siding or eaves as this acts as an entry for bees.
- Use insecticide: After sealing access points, consider applying insecticide dust to any wall or window cavities for added protection.
The best way to is to stay ahead of the problem by regularly checking for beehives or areas that may be attractive to bees. Prune low-hanging branches or dead trees and look for bee eggs in any potential nesting sites. This will help reduce the chances of a bee infestation around your home.
Finally, if you suspect that there is a bee infestation, do not hesitate to contact a professional bee keeper or pest control service for assistance. Some areas have bee rescues that can safely remove the swarm or hive from your location.
6. What You Need to Know About Bee Exclusion
In an ideal world, bee exclusion would be as easy as spotting a hive and sealing it shut with a cap or a board. Unfortunately, in the real world, this is not the case. Bee exclusion is a complex process that requires knowledge and skill. Here are the things you need to know about bee exclusion:
- Locating the Hive: To successfully exclude bees, you need to find and identify their hive. Bees can live in a variety of places including trees, walls, and attics. The hive should be easy to spot, but if you cannot find the hive or are unsure of what you are looking for, you should seek help from a beekeeper or exterminator.
- Sealing Entrances: Once you have found the hive, you will need to seal off the entrances. This will prevent new bees from entering the hive and old bees from returning to the hive. You should use a flexible material like caulk or silicone to seal off the openings.
- Destroying the Hive: Once you have sealed all the entrances, you should have a beekeeper or exterminator remove the hive itself. This will ensure that no bees are left inside the hive and that the hive is completely destroyed.
- Post-Exclusion Monitoring: You should monitor the area for several weeks after the exclusion process is completed. This will ensure that no new bees have taken up residence in the area. If you find that bees have returned, you should consult with a beekeeper or exterminator to determine the cause.
Excluding bees from your property is a challenging and complex process. However, with the right knowledge and tools, it is possible to get rid of a bee hive for good. Knowing the key steps involved in bee exclusion, such as locating the hive, sealing the entrances, destroying the hive, and monitoring the area afterwards, will help you protect your property from unwanted bee infestations.
7. Buzz Off: Do-It-Yourself Bee Control
As bees buzz around, it’s important to learn the vital responsibility of do-it-yourself bee control. Fortunately, for anyone who’s face-to-face with a buzzing bee problem, there are effective solutions to take away the annoyance and keep bees away where they belong – away from families and pets. Here’s the buzz on how to respond to bee problems in the most efficient way.
- Disperse Existing Bee Colonies – The best approach to keeping bees away is to move bee colonies to a new location where they won’t be a nuisance. This is best done in early evening when the bees are slowed down.
- Trim or Remove Trees and Bushes – Since bees often forage from trees and bushes, making sure any trees and plants in the area are free from overgrown branches or dead wood can help reduce bee activity on the property.
- Make Your Property Less Inviting – By removing or blocking places where bees can nest, like open ceilings or walls, you can reduce those unwelcome about-the-house visits.
- Seal Off Openings with Screening – Screening off porches or other outdoor structures will reduce access to those areas and discourage further bee activity.
When it comes to DIY bee control, the aim is to discourage them from settling in your property. Contact a professional if you’re not comfortable handling the job yourself, or if the problem persists. If done right, however, eradicate those buzzing bees for good with a little DIY savvy.
8. Bee Aware: Combating Unwanted Insect Invaders
Insects have been on Earth since the days of the dinosaurs, and humans have always lived with them. Some of them can be beneficial, but others can be extremely damaging to your home, garden, or business. Knowing the difference between beneficial and damaging insects is important in order to properly protect your space.
It is imperative to know how to combat the unwanted insect invaders. Here are few tips to help you get started:
- Keep lawns mowed and weeds under control, as this helps deter unwanted pests.
- Eliminate standing water, as this encourages mosquito and other bug breeding.
- Do not leave anything that is edible (open containers of food, pet food, etc.) in easy to reach places.
- Limit places to hide, seal any cracks and crevices in the walls, and eliminate any areas of excessive moistness. Maintain a clean home!
- Inspect honeybee hives yearly for any signs of infestation or damage, and take action as needed.
- Don’t let trash accumulate-take care to separate it properly and regularly empty all the bins inside and outside your home.
You can also prevent insects from taking over by using a few tactics:
- Make sure all doors and windows are properly sealed.
- Use screens on doors and windows.
- Install screens or doors for chimneys.
- Install insect traps.
- Look for sources of infestations and take action.
- Apply insecticides according to the instructions and only when needed, as preventative methods are better than reactive ones.
Don’t let buzzing bees bother you or your home. With a few simple strategies, you’re sure to keep the bees buzzing in another direction! Whether it’s planting lavender or installing bee-proofing materials, you can easily protect your home against bees and their pollinating friends. Get ready to face the summer without fear of bee intruders!