How to Get Rid of Bees Around the House

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How to Get Rid of Bees without Compromising Safety

Humans and animals cohabit the environment so that they benefit one another. For example, humans plant flowers that provide nectar for bees while they, in turn, help in pollination and producing honey.

However, when the bees come in large numbers, they may soon become a bother. You and your family may be uncomfortable around them because of all the buzzing noise and even stinging that hurts a lot. Therefore, it is good to be aware of how to keep bees away whenever you do not need them around.

I have lived in an environment with bees for quite a long time, and I understand all the dynamics of them. I know the various types of bees and the different methods that can be used to keep them away. Therefore, I am compiling this review for anyone who is looking for ways to get rid of bees naturally.

Contents

• 1 How to Identify Different Types of Bees
  • 1.1 Bumblebee
  • 1.2 Carpenter Bees
  • 1.3 Honeybee
  • 1.4 Ground Bees
  • 1.5 Bees vs. Wasps vs. Hornets
• 2 Why You Need to Find the Best Way to Get Rid of Bees
  • 2.1 Allergies
  • 2.2 Stings
  • 2.3 Damages to the Environment
• 3 How to Get Rid of a Beehive from Your Compound
  • 3.1 How to Get Rid of Bees in House – Call a Beekeeper
  • 3.2 How to Kill Bees Using Spray
  • 3.3 Use Powder (Dust) to Kill Bees
  • 3.4 Get Rid of Bees with Vinegar from Your Kitchen Shelf
  • 3.5 How to Prevent Bees Using Traps
  • 3.6 How to Make Bees Go Away Using Zappers
  • 3.7 How to Keep Bees Away Using Bee Repellent
• 4 Frequently Asked Questions on How to Get Rid of Bees Nest
  • 4.1 Are bees endangered?
  • 4.2 Why do bees sting?
  • 4.3 What are the best ways to get rid of bees?
  • 4.4 How to repel bees naturally?
  • 4.5 Which bees are harmful, and which ones should I not kill?
• 5 So Which Method Should You Use to Prevent Bees?
  • • 5.0.1 References:

How to Identify Different Types of Bees

Before using homemade remedies to kill bees, first, identify the type that you are dealing with because they are not the same. There are four main types of bees, and they include bumblebees, honey, carpenter, and ground. Each of them has special features that you will find out below.

Bumblebee

If there was a prize for working hard, bumblebees would win every year. They have large bodies that can grow up to four centimeters. The size of their bodies enables these bees to be the best pollinators. They simply use their large body size to vibrate on flowers, hence making them release pollen that then leads to the production of more fruits on plants.

However, these bees do not produce as much honey as the type known as honeybees. But despite this, you will need them around you if you want to benefit from pollination more than honey. Their bodies are hairy, and they often build hives in dry areas such as parks.

Carpenter Bees

Just as their name suggests, these bees are like carpenters because they love wood. They usually make a nest in the woods. As a result, carpenter bees are considered destructive because they disfigure wood in the process of creating a habitat for themselves. They are of yellow and black colors, and their looks are similar to bumblebees. Some species have a dark blue coloring.

Honeybee

These bees are the most commonly kept by farmers because they are the biggest producers of honey. The main characteristic of honeybees is that they do not move a lot. Mostly, they live within three hundred feet from their nest.

Honeybees have a small body size, and once they sting you, they die. They die because they lose their stinger, which attaches them to you once they sting you. Hence, it is important to be able to live with these bees to ensure that you do not hurt one another.

Ground Bees

Ground bees are less harmful compared to the other types. Usually, they do not sting unless under a lot of pressure. Therefore, if you have these bees in your compound, you may leave them alone as they will not hurt anyone. You will easily identify these bees by the mounds that they form on the soil, as this is their favorite place.

Bees vs. Wasps vs. Hornets

Wasps and hornets are similar to bees. Hence, it is very important to differentiate these insects so that you do not mistake one for the other. Wasps are different from bees in that they have more predator characteristics. A wasp is more likely to sting you than a bee.

A wasp is also not as gigantic as a bee. Their heads are thinner than those of bees, and unlike bees that have yellow and black color, wasps have one color. Therefore, if you are careful, it is easy to differentiate these two types of insects.

Hornets, on the other hand, are more dangerous than bees because they are more likely to sting you or any other person who disturbs their habitat. They have white and black stripes around their bodies, hence making them easy to identify. Wasps are also similar to carpenter bees because they are fond of chewing wood until it becomes paper pulp. The next time a stinging insect moves around you, you should be able to tell whether it is a bee, hornet, or wasp.

Why You Need to Find the Best Way to Get Rid of Bees

Whether you have reached a point where you want to desperately get rid of the bees roaming around or not, here is why you should consider taking this action.

Allergies

Some people are allergic to bees, while others are not. If you are lucky, you may be aware of whether you or a family member has a bee allergy. However, most people do not realize it until they find themselves in the emergency room because of a bee sting.

The individuals who are allergic to bees usually get stung by these insects, and when this happens, their skin swells in an extraordinary manner. The swelling does not go away within a few hours or a day as it would for the non-allergic individuals.

These people have to be subjected to numerous tests to find out the type of bee venom that the insect released on their bodies so that the doctors may give the right prescription. While undertaking these tests, you may be stressed wondering whether you will get healed or not.

Other people may also be worried about you. Therefore, instead of risking to get stress, depression, loss of time, and money because of bees, it is better to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Stings

Bees are dangerous because of their stings. If they sense that you are interfering with their environment, they get extremely aggressive and will sting you. If you are an adult, the pain may be bearable despite the discomfort.

However, if you have a child or a pet, the stings may cause a lot of trouble. First, the child may cry endlessly because of the pain and the inability to manage it. It may be traumatic for the child and the pet because either way, you have to drive them to the hospital or vet.

Damages to the Environment

Bees are not only harmful to human beings and pets. Even if they carry out pollination, they also can destroy the environment; hence this makes it hard to live with them in the same compound. For example, as I already discussed above, carpenter bees love building their nests in wood. Thus, once these bees attack your wooden house, they may cause many troubles and losses.

Holes in wood made by carpenter bees

Ground bees, on the other hand, may interfere with the soil around your home, hence damaging the beauty and look of your lawn garden. If bees such as bumble build nests around your home, the rot and molds that follow the death of these nests may be horrifying to see and even to think about. Thus, you should get rid of these insects if you want to live a peaceful life.

How to Get Rid of a Beehive from Your Compound

There are many ways of getting rid of bees. Some methods are natural, while others are not. Therefore, you need to be sure of the final result that you want before selecting a technique. Do you want them gone forever, or do you want them to stay but without bothering you and your family? Find out the best technique for you, choose the one from the following methods.

How to Get Rid of Bees in House – Call a Beekeeper

Have you ever thought that you can approach bees without causing harm to one another? This is what professional beekeepers do. They help you get rid of the insects without eradicating them. If you live in an area that has a lot of bees, it may be easy to find a beekeeper from the neighborhood.

You may be asking, what will the beekeeper do? First, the aim of a beekeeper is to get the insects alive. If you have a place within your compound where you would like to maintain the insects, the keeper will do exactly what you want. Also, if you are not interested in keeping the bees, the beekeeper will take them away and find them a new home.

A beekeeper will get the honeycombs from your house safely while ensuring that the female bee does not get agitated. Once he or she can transfer the honeycombs to a new hive with the female inside, the rest of the bees will follow suit automatically.

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How to Kill Bees Using Spray

If you are willing to get rid of bees from your compound completely, then you may consider spraying the insects. Remember, insecticides from the hardware in your neighborhood will kill the bees in yard. Therefore, you should consider this alternative only if you are completely sure that you do not want to see them in your compound ever again.

Sprays are more effective during the night than during the day. Therefore, if you are planning to exterminate a hive near your residence, you need to plan on how to execute your plan when it is dark. It is advisable to use a red flashlight when going about your plans at night because bees are said not to be able to see this color.

That means that you can see the insects, but they cannot see you; hence, you will be able to spray them efficiently. Also, when spraying, it is important to know that the opening of the hive is the most important part that you should concentrate on. Once you spray the opening, check the following day whether the bees are all dead.

If you notice some activity near the hive, you should apply the spray again after two to three days. Repeat this process until you are completely sure that all the insects are dead. And when you are sure, you may then carry out the next step, which is the removal of the hive from your compound.

The elimination of the hive is the last step and the happiest because it means that you have been successful in killing the bees. They will no longer be a bother to you or the people you love. But there are things you should note when using sprays.

The first one is that you must read the instructions on the spray package. Not all sprays work equally, and each may be effective on a different type of hive. Therefore, you need to be sure that the spray you are getting will be efficient for the job.

Another point you need to note is that various sprays may kill different types of bees. That means that a spray that is efficient on honeybees may not work the same on ground bees. If you are not sure about the bees in your compound, it may be necessary to involve a professional.

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The expert will identify the type of bee and help you select the best spray. It should be a spray that will not cause harm to people and the animals living in your compound.

Use Powder (Dust) to Kill Bees

If you are allergic to bee stings, you may also want to eliminate them using powder. The powder works similar to spray because it also kills the bees. You should seek help from the pesticide shop near you so that you may select an effective powder. Different powders work on various types of insects. Hence, you need one that is good at keeping away bees for good.

When applying powder in the beehive, you need to take precautionary measures. First, you need to use gloves to handle the powder.

The next thing you need is a helmet to help you approach the beehive without risking stings. Finally, you need to wear long socks to protect your open skin from bee stings.

Get Rid of Bees with Vinegar from Your Kitchen Shelf

If there are many bees in your home, you may be confused and want to eliminate them urgently. Like any other living thing, they need water to survive. Hence, it may be efficient to chase them away by putting vinegar in water and placing it near the area with bees.

Vinegar is a natural repellent for many insects, and since it does not kill the insects, it is good if you want to maintain a functional ecosystem. So, how do you exterminate bees using vinegar? It is very simple, and anyone in the family can do it. You simply need to add a few drops of vinegar in water, and then place the cans of water on the lawn.

Ensure that the animals in your compound cannot drink the water with vinegar because it may cause problems for them. The solution is meant only to repel bees. Once you place the cans strategically in the garden and also around your house, bees will naturally leave your place and search for a new home.

You may also spray bees using the vinegar mixture instead of placing it at various points and waiting for the bees to come. The vinegar spray makes it impossible for the bees to fly, and it may sometimes lead to their death.

If you want the mixture to be more effective, you need to add some soap to the mixture of water and vinegar. The soap makes the solution more efficient because it breaks the density of water. Hence, once bees fly around the solution, they may drown. And if you spray them with the solution, they may suffocate and die.

How to Prevent Bees Using Traps

Killing bees nests using chemicals is not the best solution, especially if you have other things in your compound that may be damaged by the spray. For example, if the bees have built a hive around your kitchen garden, it may be dangerous to spray insecticides as they may end up in your vegetables. In such a case, traps may be more preferable to use.

You can make a homemade trap or buy it if you are not in a position to design one. You need a bottle that can hold numerous bees, for example, one that can carry two liters. Design the top of the trap so that it can allow bees to enter the bottle easily but not be able to come out. This means the bottom should be broad while the top is narrow but not too small.

Once you have finished designing the bottle, the next thing you need is to fill it with a sweet solution. Note that bees prefer natural sweetness to processed one. Therefore, you cannot use a lot of sugar or honey as your mixture. Think about a solution that will taste like nectar, which bees like.

If you fill the bottle with the solution, you should know that it will trap the bees and drown them. Therefore, if there are only a few bees bothering you, and you don't want to kill them, do not fill the whole bottle with the solution. Just put a substantial amount on the bottom of the bottle.

Once you catch the bees, you may release them into the wild wherever you want. You may also buy a readymade trap and just fill it with the desired solution. It will save you a lot of time thinking about how to create one.

However, if the bees that are bothering you are too many, you may spend a lot of money buying readymade traps to place at different points in your compound. Making the traps by yourself may be cost-saving, although it may take a lot of time.

How to Make Bees Go Away Using Zappers

Electric bug zappers are another option for exterminating any type of bees. However, if you are looking for how to get rid of bees without killing them, this method may not be for you. Zappers attract insects and kill them.

Bug zappers are similar to electric lamps. However, they emit ultraviolet rays that attract bees and any other bugs that may be bothering you within the homestead. Zappers are effective at night because insects can spot the light in the darkness. It has metal grids that are big enough to fit most insects.

Once a bee is drawn to the zapper, it gets near the light and is then electrocuted by the ultraviolet rays. The disadvantage is that the zapper kills the insects. Also, it may not be very efficient in enabling you to get rid of the bees at night. Bees usually hide in their hive during darkness; hence, it is rare for them to come out and see the light.

Experts also claim that zappers are not the best because they end up killing the beneficial pests. For example, honeybees, which are rare and very useful for the environment. Therefore, it should be the last option that you select if you are desperately in need of a solution to the bee menace in your yard.

How to Keep Bees Away Using Bee Repellent

Although I have discussed some bee repellents such as the sweet solution, there are others that naturally get rid of bees without hurting the insects. These other techniques also do not require much effort; hence they are time-saving.

1. One of the repellents that you can use is cucumbers. Get many cucumbers and cut them into small circular shapes. Place the circular-shaped cucumbers on an aluminum surface and place it at a strategic point. The cucumbers and the aluminum surface react so that they can repel bees. The combination emits a scent that keeps bees away naturally.

You may also use cucumbers in another way. That is by peeling them and placing these peels on the windows. Bees hate the smell that the peels emit; hence, they will not come near your house. And you will also benefit because the cucumbers bring a sense of freshness in your home.

2. Peppermint is another natural bee repellent. The sure way of using peppermint is by planting it around your home. The scent that peppermint emits is so strong that it keeps away bees and other small bugs that may be a bother to you. You may plant some around your house to prevent bees from coming near. This way, you will always be confident that your family is secure inside the house.

Some individuals are not that much into farming. Hence, they may find it hard to plant peppermint around. If you are one of them, don't worry. There is still another way of using peppermint. Purchase some peppermint oil and dip pieces of cotton wool in it and then place them at various points in your home.

3. If you want the oil to be more efficient, you may combine it with some tea tree oil. Tea tree oil also has a strong scent that is capable of repelling bees, wasps, and other bugs that are not welcome in your home.

These oils are good because they are natural and do not cause any harm to the bees. This is unlike a sweet solution or a vinegar solution that may also not be poisonous but can drown the insects, hence exterminating them.

Smoke is also a natural method of how to get rid of bees nest in roof. You should light the smoke at night as this is the best time to find bees in the nest. Once you direct smoke to the nest, ensure that you have closed all your windows and doors so that they do not enter the house.

However, smoke may not be a permanent solution. It is effective when you want to get honey from the nest or when you want to transfer the nest to another point on the farm.

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Frequently Asked Questions on How to Get Rid of Bees Nest

You need to be able to answer a few questions before finding a method of killing or repelling bees. These questions may help you in selecting the best method of dealing with the insects. They may also save you a lot of time and cost. Below are some of the frequently asked questions on this issue.

Are bees endangered?

Bees, especially honeybees, are endangered. Climate change and the use of pesticides in agriculture pose a threat to these beneficial insects. Pesticides kill the insects and prevent them from carrying out pollination, which is their main task when feeding on nectar from plants.

Climate change, on the other hand, has made the environment inhabitable for these insects. Hence, there is a need to protect this species to prevent it from becoming extinct.

Why do bees sting?

Bees love flowers because of their brightness. As a result, the insects are attracted to bright colors even if they are not mainly on flowers. Scents also attract these insects because they love nectar that has a sweet scent.

Bees, therefore, sting when they get attracted to bright colors and sweet scent, not knowing that they will die. Once they sting humans or animals, they leave the stinger on the victim, and as a result, lose part of their body that then leads to death.

What are the best ways to get rid of bees?

There are many methods that you can use to repel or kill bees. The method that you select depends on the results that you want. Do you want to kill the bees? If yes, vinegar, sweet solution, and zappers may be the way to go. Do you want to keep the bees alive? If yes, you may call a beekeeper to manage the insects on your farm or to take them away altogether.

How to repel bees naturally?

There are many ways of how to get rid of bees naturally. One of these is by the use of cucumber or the peels of this fruit. Follow the steps I have outlined above about how to use cucumber effectively. A sweet solution that does not drown bees is also a good bee repellent. Basically, as long as you do not kill bees with the method that you are using, you may consider it to be natural.

Which bees are harmful, and which ones should I not kill?

There are four main types of bees that include carpenter, bumble, ground, and honey bees. Honeybees are the most useful in the environment. They carry out pollination and produce honey that is used for medicinal purposes.

Therefore, if you notice honeybees on your farm, you should find a way of how to get rid of helpful honey bees without killing them. The other types, such as ground and carpenter, also pollinate plants, but they are not as beneficial as honeybees.

So Which Method Should You Use to Prevent Bees?

Basically, bees have both benefits and limitations. Having them in your compound may help in the pollination of plants, and if you are the type that loves honey, you will never run out of this sweetener. There are different types of bees. The four major ones include honey, bumble, ground, and wood or carpenter bees.

When you decide that you do not want these insects buzzing around your compound, you need to know the type that you are dealing with before undertaking any measure. You may use this guide to identify the characteristics of each type, and if you are still not sure, call for professional help.

Also, the method that you select will depend on one major factor. Do you want the bees to die, or are you ready to keep them alive?

If keeping them alive is the option, a beekeeper may become your best friend! Beekeepers may also help you to keep the insects under strict control so that they do not harm you, and you do not interfere with their environment. Other techniques include using bee spray for the yard, repellents, or traps.

Now I would like to hear from you! What are your favorite and most effective methods of getting rid of bees? Please, leave a comment below and let me know whether you find my article useful.

References:

• Controlling Nuisance Honey Bees (COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT): https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef606
• Pollination / Bee Lab (University of Minnesota):
  https://www.beelab.umn.edu/bees/pollination
• Understanding Bee Stings – Diagnosis & Treatment (WebMD): https://www.webmd.com/allergies/understanding-bee-sting-allergies-treatment
• Helping Agriculture's Helpful Honey Bees(FDA):
  https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/helping-agricultures-helpful-honey-bees

How to Get Rid of Bees Around the House

Source: https://pestcontrolhacks.com/how-to-get-rid-of-bees/

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