As spring arrives, so too do buzzing bees and swarms of other pesky insects. As you step outside, the warm sunshine and chirping birds are blissfully accompanied by miniature drones in the air. But we don’t have to succumb to the irritation of bees. There are natural and effective ways of keeping bees at bay that don’t involve harsh chemicals or traps – let’s explore these options together!
1. Evaluating Your Environment: What Draws Bees to Your Home
From gardens to windowsills, you’d be surprised at the sheer variety of places where bees could take up residence. If you want to know why they’re there, the answers lie in a basic understanding of bee behavior. Keeping an eye out for the following elements can help you determine what’s bringing the bees to your home in the first place.
- Flowers: Bees are naturally drawn to brightly colored flowers, as they provide a reliable source of nectar (their primary food source). Pay attention to any busy, flower-filled areas in your home or garden, as these will be popular spots for bee visitors.
- Water Sources: Bees not only need to feed on nectar, but need to also have access to clean water. Any areas on your property where standing water is present will likely attract local bees.
- Honeycombs: If you have a hive near your home, it’s likely that many local bees have been drawn to it. Once the hive is established, more and more bees will keep coming back, either to help maintain the hive or to collect food from it.
Aside from habitat-driven factors, the presence of bees is also influenced by external factors, such as weather or insecticides. Keeping an eye out for extreme and sudden changes in temperature, as well as the use of pesticides and other insecticides, can help you identify potential sources of attraction.
Having an understanding of the environmental factors that bring bees to your home can help you put in place preventative measures, or even encourage them to stay away. For example, ensuring your garden has plenty of flowers and clean water sources will attract bees, while removing any hive conditions can cause them to disperse.
2. Practical Strategies for Keeping Bees at Bay
When it comes to keeping bees at bay, there is no single catch-all strategy that works for every situation. Bees are stubborn creatures and their behavior can be difficult to predict. But with some creative thinking and a few practical strategies, you can make the process of keeping bees away a lot easier. Here are a few useful tips for managing bee populations:
- Neem oil: There are a number of natural repellents out there that you can use to keep bees away. Neem oil is one such product, derived from the seeds of the neem tree. It has a pungent smell and taste which bees find unappealing. Simply mix it with water and spray it around the area where the bees are gathering.
- Keep it clean: Bees are attracted to areas that contain a lot of lingering food or sweet odors. So it’s important to keep the area well cleaned and free of food sources. Take the trash out regularly, store food in airtight containers and wash dishes quickly. This will minimize the amount of food sources the bees can feed on and will cause them to move on to different locations.
- Cover your trash: This is a simple but effective way of reducing bee activity. Make sure to cover your trash bins securely and place tight-fitting lids on outdoor trash containers as well. This will reduce the appeal of your trash as a potential food source for bees!
- Plant bee-resistant flowers: Planting flowers that bees don’t like to visit will help repel them from your area. Lavender and marigolds are famous for their ability to keep bees away. Planting these flowers around the edges of your garden or the perimeter of your home should reduce bee activity in the area.
These strategies may not completely eliminate bee activity in your area, but if used in combination with other methods such as bee traps or exterminators, they can help to significantly reduce bee populations and keep them from becoming an issue. Taking the time to research and implement these strategies can be invaluable in protecting your family and property from bee-related problems.
3. No-Chemical Approaches To Bee Repellence
Try Sound
Consider trying a sonic device. Most sonic repellers operate with a combination of ultra-sonic sound and LED lighting. Cutting-edge technology can help you determine the radius, frequency and the volume of sound it emits. It helps you create a noise level that’s not harmful to other species, while being loud enough to repel bees.
Encourage Natural Predators
Nature is the best deterrent when it comes to bee repellence. Encourage natural predators of bees, such as spiders, ants, dragonflies, lizards, and birds to come around your home. Plant flowering plants in your gardens and hedges, to provide food to these insect predators. Shifting bird feeders and flower beds regularly is also beneficial in encouraging natural predators.
- Participate in Pollinator Planting Programs
- Create Bat Boxes for Bat Predators
- Add Gardening Insects like Praying Mantis
ESD/EHD
Electrostatic Discharge/Electro-Hyper Dynamics (ESD/EHD) is an electronic device which generates high-frequency electric charge particles to create an invisible barrier, which repels bees and other animals. This economical option may be allowed in some states, if it does not harm the environment.
Essential Oils
Essential oils such as peppermint and eucalyptus have a strong smell that bees find unappealing. Use them at the entryways of your home and garden, or to spray a fine mist in the air to repel bees. Keep refreshed regularly and in sunny areas, these oils can last for up to two weeks.
4. All-Natural Bee Barriers
Bee barriers can help protect your garden or crops and keep busy bees away from the places they shouldn’t be. That’s why it’s important to choose natural, friendly solutions to the problem.
Plants – Planting flowers and herbs that attract beneficial bees can also help create a natural barrier to keep them away from other areas. Plant basil, spearmint, lavender, and fennel near fruit trees – they smell great and they are also attractive to beneficial bees that help pollinate the flowers.
Lures – A lot of bee lures and traps focus on using their natural passion for gathering nectar and pollen. By using sumac and dandelion liquor and other natural sweeteners, you can create a trap for bees that keeps them away from other areas.
Repelling & Deterring – You can use other natural methods to keep bees away from your crops and garden. Essential oils like peppermint, lemongrass, and citronella can ward off bees and other insects, while other materials like cinnamon, garlic, and onion can repel them entirely.
5. Pests Begone!: Attracting Predators to Help Control the Bee Population
When faced with a pest problem, one way to combat it is by introducing predators. In the case of over-population of bees, using predators is one effective way to get it under control. Installing small birdhouses, setting up bat boxes and putting up other wildlife habitats, can be an effective way to attract predators. Here’s a brief description of these three:
- Birdhouses: Birdhouses should be attached to trees, posts or buildings as they provide a sheltered area for birds. Some species to consider attracting are chickadees, wrens, bluebirds, woodpeckers and flycatchers.
- Bat Boxes: Bats are effective predators of flying insects and they feed on over 500 mosquitoes in a single night. Bat houses should be put up in sunny areas and mounted at least 12 feet above the ground.
- Wildlife Habitats: This can be done by restoring and enhancing existing wetlands. Planting water-tolerant shrubs and trees along the edges of wetlands helps with providing better habitats for wildlife.
By taking the mentioned steps and building a wildlife-friendly environment, one can attract natural predators of insects, that could help reduce the bee population.
In addition, introducing ornamental plants can provide beneficial nectar for beneficial insects e.g. ladybugs, lacewings, predatory wasps and hoverflies. A diverse insect population in turn attracts a range of insect-eating birds such as hawks, jays, woodpeckers and others.
6. Effective Bee Repellents From Your Kitchen
In the fight against pesky bees in your kitchen and other areas of your home, there is no need to go out and purchase expensive insecticides. Instead, there are plenty of effective bee repellents right in your kitchen aisle. Here are some ideas on how to keep bees away with everyday food items:
- Onion Mixture – Mix a few slices of onion and some water in a bowl and let it sit overnight. The next day, strain the mixture and spray it around your home. The smell of onion is one of the most effective bee repellents.
- Apple Cider Vinegar and Dish Soap – Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 2 parts water and then add a few drops of dish soap. Shake the mixture and spray it in areas where bees may be active. This mixture is known to be extremely effective.
- Lemon and Cloves – Cut a few lemons into small pieces and then add in a few cloves. Boil the mixture in a pot and then spray the solution around your home. The smell of the cloves and lemon will help keep away bees.
- Cucumber Peel – Peel off a few cucumber skins and leave them around areas where bees may be active. The smell of cucumber is known to act as a natural repellent against bees.
These are just a few of the many possibilities for creating effective bee repellents from items in your kitchen. You can get creative and try out different combinations and find the one that works best for you. Do remember to be safe and wear the proper protective gear when dealing with bees, and always consult a professional if you have any doubt about the best course of action.
7. Plants That Repel Bees – A Gardener’s Best Friend?
If you’re a gardener who loves to get their hands dusty but hates the pesky little buzz of bees, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are some plants you can add to your garden to help keep those buzzing pollenators away:
- Lavender
- Bay Leaves
- Mint
- Citronella Grass
- Basil
- Geraniums
- Catnip
We’ll start with the timeless classic, lavender. With its intense aroma, this flowering plant is a well-known bee repellent. It doesn’t just work with bees either; many types of pests dislike lavender, due to its natural oils and compounds. Besides performing double duty as an insect repellent, certain studies suggest that it could even reduce stress in humans.
Next, we have bay leaves. Not just for cooking, bay leaves are known for their strong eucalyptus scent, which effectively deters bees and other pests. Beekeepers even recommend burning bay leaves to make bee-repelling smoke during beekeeping activities. Planting them around your garden is a sure way to keep bees away from the area, whilst adding a nice touch of greenery to your outdoor space.
Mint, renowned for its cool taste and aroma, also works to keep bees and other insects away. Its powerful smell makes most bugs flee and keeps them away. Mint is fast-growing and undemanding, so it provides a great coverage for your flower bed as well.
All of these plants can help you create a bee-proof barrier in your garden, without the use of harming chemicals. Not to mention, they are an easy and pleasant way to add some natural beauty to your outdoor space.
8. Taking Bee Control Into Your Own Hands: DIY Solutions for Busy Homeowners
Effective Solutions to Keep Bees at Bay
Keeping bees away from your home is no easy task. However, there are several DIY solutions that can be used to thwart those pesky winged critters from setting up shop near your house. Here are a few of the most effective methods for busy homeowners.
- Tiny Tunnels – Cut a length of 3-inch flexible duct and place it near the eaves of your home. This acts as a very effective tunnel or tube since bees can’t fly through its twists and turns.
- Vinegar Mixture – Deter bees by combining equal parts white vinegar, lemon juice, and water in a spray bottle. Spray around your windows, doors and other areas where bees are entering your home.
- Booby Traps – To really get rid of elusive bees, create booby traps using a two-liter plastic bottle. Cut the top off and invert the bottom onto where the top was cut. Fill the bottle with a mixture of beer, water and sugar, or just beer and water. Bees in the area will flock to the bottle and eventually become trapped inside.
With these tips you can gain greater control over the bee population around your home and make sure your weekends are bee-free. DIY solutions are easy to use and provide an effective long-term solution.
With the right natural ingredients, you can easily and effectively keep bees away. Start experimenting with these helpful home remedies and you may just find yourself enjoying a relaxing, bee-free summer!
