Have bees taken over your house? If you are pestered by beehives in your walls, garden, or underground, it is imperative that you find a way to drive them out. On top of the aesthetic and financial damages bees can cause, they sting you – which is rather painful.
Want to remove these little guests from your home or office but not sure how to? Don’t worry; we got your back!
It is not a good idea to eliminate bees on your own without proper knowledge. So, keep reading to find out all you need to know about dealing with a bee infestation safely.
Ways to Deal with a Bee Infestation
Contact a Bee Removal Service
Without a doubt, the best way to take care of the bee situation on your premise is to assign a professional to take care of it. A bee control company will have all the expertise required to safely and permanently eliminate bees from your home or office. In addition, they are well aware of the role of bees in the ecosystem and will deal with the infestation without killing the inhabitants of a hive. Instead, they will find a new dwelling for the bees.
The bee removal experts will remove honeycombs inside the beehive without agitating the queen bee. Then, they will shift the honeycombs to another hive away from your property. Because the queen will be safe inside the honeycombs, the other bees will automatically follow her to the new beehive.
Most major metros will have a professional bee control service. In addition, many local beekeepers might also offer to take a hive off your hands for free. As a result, they can produce their honey, and you, on the other hand, get to enjoy a bee-free life.
Using Sprays to Eliminate Bees Nests
If you cannot find a reliable bee removal service or want to avoid the expense associated with it, you can deal with the bee infestation yourself. However, be very careful regarding your DIY bee control efforts. You would not want to disturb the bees too much.
One of the easiest ways to remove bees is to spray them with the right products. Do not use just any pesticides or chemicals. These will not kill bees immediately but will serve to aggravate them. First, determine what type of bees you are dealing with and choose a spray accordingly.
Read the label on the spray and ensure you have gotten a bee spray that will do the job. Be warned that some sprays will kill the bees – probably something you do not want. So, select an approved bee removal spray, and then proceed to eliminate bees from your surroundings.
Sprays are most effective during the night. Use a red light to help you see better in the dark. Don’t worry; bees cannot see this colour, so the flashlight will not trigger them.
A good spray will chase bees away in only a few hours. Consider respraying if you notice some bees returning the following day.
Use Bee Powder to Remove Bees’ Nests
Alternatively, you can use bee powder to get rid of bees. Be careful which powder you select, as some bee powders can kill bees. It is always a good idea to consult a bee control service to find out which bee powder may help you get rid of bees without killing them.
When handling bee powder, try to wear protective gear. For example, wear gloves to avoid contaminating your hands and a helmet to prevent stings while approaching the nest. Covering all body parts with full sleeves and long socks can also help avoid stings.
Try Home Remedies to Eliminate a Bee Infestation
If you want to handle a bee infestation with natural techniques, there are ways to do that too. You can tackle the buzzing infestation with some simple home remedies. Bees are ultra-sensitive to smell, so you should use this as a weapon. Here’s how:
Citrus Spray or Candles
The smell of citrus naturally repels bees. So make your own citrus spray and spray it all around high-traffic areas to make your space less inviting to bees.
Simply add a few slices of lemon, orange, grapefruit, or lime to a pot of boiling water. Heat the mixture until it boils down to ⅓ in volume. After the mixture cools, pour it into a spray bottle and spray around beehives or areas where you often notice bees. You can also light citronella candles to drive certain species of bees out.
Vinegar Spray
Vinegar is another smell that bees detest. Mix equal parts of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture over the hives. Also, spray in places where bees like to swarm – like flowers in your backyard.
The smell of vinegar will repel them and instigate them to move away. You can also leave the vinegar mixture in cans around the beehive. The foul odour will also help eliminate bees.
Garlic Spray
Want to add even more bee-deterrent ingredients? Add garlic to the mix! The combination of white vinegar and garlic is something bees loathe. Make a revolting spray by soaking some fresh garlic cloves in cooking oil for a few days. Then, add cheap quality (highly acidic) vinegar to worsen the smell. This will disorient the bees and prevent them from flying.
Cucumber Slices
You can also use cucumber to get rid of bees. Slice them into tiny circular pieces and lay them on aluminium surfaces near the bees nest. The cucumber slices will react with the aluminium and emit peculiar smells bees do not like. It’s just as easy as that for you to have a bee-free home!
Peppermint Scent
The strong scent of peppermint also makes bees uncomfortable. Plant some peppermint plants around the house. Peppermint oil will also do the trick. Dip a few pieces of cotton in peppermint oil and place them in areas where bees visit often.
Plant Bee-repelling Plants
If your home is prone to bees, you might want to avoid flowering plants. Instead, choose a few bee-repellent plants. These include pennyroyal, peppermint, eucalyptus, cloves, and citronella.
Cinnamon
Bees also find the stench of cinnamon repulsive. Introduce the smell of cinnamon near where the bees nest. The bees cannot stand this smell, so they will relocate to another place. You can also chase bees away by sprinkling some cinnamon spray on the hives.
Natural Traps for Bees
Build a natural trap with a narrow entry to capture the bees. You can use a zip-lock bag for this. Put some ripe mangoes in the zip-lock bag and place it at a twenty feet distance from the nest. Leave it there for three days, then move it further.
The bees will get attracted to the smell and hopefully relocate. To make this trap, you can use any sweet solution, such as artificial nectar, maple syrup, or natural sugar.
Conclusion
Bees may be good for the ecosystem, but they are a nuisance for property owners. If you, too, are troubled by bees, it is time to take some action. Surely, you can contact a pest control company to take care of the infestation. However, if you think the bee infestation is not that big and want to eliminate them on your own, you can try DIY bee control.
It really is as simple as using sprays, bee powder, or setting traps with sweets. If you choose the right products, none of these methods will kill the bees. Another safe way to drive bees away is to introduce scents like vinegar, citrus, and peppermint.
