How to Get Rid of Bees Without Killing Them?

Who doesn’t love the charm of the spring! Blooming flowers, lush green surroundings and buzzing bees; everything about this season is too good and true. Yet, there are chances that you are wary of the buzz caused by the spring if you’ve ever been stung by a bee. Yes, the sting of a bee is strong and painful enough to keep you cautious of these buzzing insects for rest of your life.

We know that bees are intricate to this ecosystem as they help in cross-pollination, which helps in keeping the food chain running. Then again, this is no reason to garner them into the yards so that they can sting you someday. Well, killing them in order to get rid of them is no good either. Therefore, you should be aware of the ways you can use to get rid of various kinds of bees without killing them.

These methods will help you get rid of those bees without killing them. They aim at repelling the bees and relocating them to places where they do not cause harm. But to apply these techniques, you need to know which kind of bee has infested your house. There are various types of bees which have different nesting habits. For instance, carpenter bees drill tunnels in wood, honey bees form hives outside your house, and bumblebees live in underground burrows. Here, you will find various bees you need to know about:

• Honey Bees: Honey bees live in large colonies by forming hives on a window ledge or other such structures outside your house. They are least aggressive when it comes to stinging because once they sting someone, they die. They will only sting if seriously provoked or they sense danger to their hive or the queen. Relocating their hives instead of burning them is a good technique to get rid of those bees without killing them. You can take help of a beekeeper to do so.
• Bumblebees: Bumblebees are yellow and black striped bees which make spring more joyous. They are social creatures which live in colonies. They occupy abandoned rodent burrows and lay eggs in them. It is always better to prevent them from nesting in your surroundings or getting rid of the as soon as possible because they get aggressive quickly and sting multiple times at one go.
• Carpenter Bees: Carpenter bees are solitary creatures which live in pairs and are less likely to sting. They drill tunnels into the trees or wood outside your house. They are not much of a threat when it comes to stinging, but cumulative nesting into the woodwork of your house can cause serious damage. Therefore, it is always better to adopt methods to repel these bees and prevent them from nesting in your yard.
• Wasps: they can make nests in your car or even attics. Their sting is quite sharp and painful.
• Hornets: They build inverted teardrop shaped nests with paper.
• Ground Bees and Yellow Jackets: They are fairly aggressive insects which can build nests in ground as well as abandoned burrows.

Prevention is always better than cure. Hence, it is better to take preventive measure beforehand so that insects, especially bees don’t get attracted to your house. The ways in which you can prevent bees from getting attracted to your house are:

• Keeping the yard storage clean is one effective way to make sure that bees don’t get attracted to your yard. So, the next time you bring out garden supplies before the spring arrives, make sure you pay equal attention to cleaning as well.
• Stop consuming or storing sugary drinks outdoors and keep the dustbins clean and away from the house to keep the insects and bugs at bay.
• Side the woodwork of your house with aluminium or vinyl to prevent carpenter bees from nesting in them.
• Paint the woodwork with polyurethane to keep the bees away from the wood.
• Fill in the abandoned burrows immediately after treating them so that they cannot be used again by a different group of insects.
• Keep the garage doors and other openings which might let the insects in shut during the mating season, i.e., spring.
• Plant repelling plants, hang moth balls on windowsills, and eliminating standing water can help a great deal too. These natural bee repellents will keep you and your house safe.

After everything being said about repelling the bees, you must be wondering what can be done to repel these bees naturally. So, here’s how to repel bees naturally through repelling plants:

• Basil: Keep your gathering and relaxing areas free from mosquitoes and house flies by planting basil in small bottles or containers and placing them there. Basil does not only help you in making great pesto, but they also contain oils which repel insects. You can also prepare basil concentrate and spray it around your house when you’re going out.
• Lemongrass: Citronella is natural oil found in lemongrass which is an efficient repellent.
• Rosemary: Rosemary is available in various forms and can be planted anywhere. These herbs repel all insects which can cause any harm to plants in your kitchen garden.
• Other such herbs which will keep your house insect free and kitchen fragrant are parsley, thyme, oregano, lemon balm, fennel, dill, chives, bay leaves and mint.
• Ornamental flowers not only make your humble abode look beautiful, they also have oil concentrates which repel insects and are a great go to method to get rid of those bees without killing them. Some of these repelling plants are Alliums, Chrysanthemums, Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Petunias and Common Lantanas.
• You can also plant some commonly known carnivorous plants such as Pitcher Plant and Venus Fly Trap to stay on the safer side.

Though there is still no number and density of plants required known which can help in repelling these insects with utmost effect. Then again, they are better than killing the bees after they’ve caused all the damage they could.

Planting repelling plants in your kitchen garden or backyard not only keeps your house safe from insects and bugs, it also provides you fresh herbs to garnish the dinner!

Applying Insecticidal Dust

• When it comes to bees like carpenter bees which nest in the wood outside your house, it becomes all the more important to get rid of them because they damage the wood with cumulative usage. Insecticidal dust is a dry form of contact insecticide which can kill the insects when they come in contact with it.
• In order to apply insecticidal dust, locate the burrows and puff them with the dust at hours when these bees are inactive. You can also apply the dust during daytime, and use a wasp spray or a wasp killing powder to make the bees unconscious to protect yourself from stings.
• You should puff the sides and interior of the burrow during spring, mid-summer and early autumn for effective results. Fill in the holes with wood putty r dowels in autumn and paint or varnish the wood to protect it from further infiltration.
• Make sure you cover your hands and face properly to protect yourself from the chemical and bee sting. Discard the contaminated clothing properly to ensure complete safety.

Lure the Bees

• To relocate bees, use attractants such as sugary drinks, ripe mangoes and pears and other such sugary substance and place them 20-feet away from the area where bees are active. Keep on moving the attractants away week by week until bees make a hive at a place far away from your house and stop visiting the initial hive.
• You can also place a basin filled with soapy, sugary water near the flower beds to attract bees into it. Once the bees come in contact with soapy water, the surface tension is reduced and it becomes difficult for bees to come out. The bees drown in it gradually.

Make It Difficult for Them to Fly

• Prepare a spray by mixing canola oil, vinegar and water and spray them on the bees. The mixture will not only make it difficult for the bees to breathe, they will also struggle to fly. You can also add soap water to the mixture to make the spray more effective. You have to be very cautious while spraying it on the bees and wear protective clothing to stay safe from the stings.
• You can also use various food-grade organic pesticides to get rid of the bees without harming yourself or the environment.