Biologists have discovered thousands of species of bees. Generally, bees are not a threat to human life. Instead, they help farmers pollinate crops. In many cases, it is seen that farmers even rent bee hives for the pollination of the crops. Bees are good pollinating agents, which play a vital role in our agricultural system. However, bees can also become a disturbing element when they enter a house or apartment. Once inside the house, they completely interrupt the peaceful atmosphere of the residence. An infestation of bees will ruin your peace of mind.
Residents easily get distracted from the buzzing sound bees create. Not just the sound, bees can also sting humans and this can lead to different types of allergic reactions. Stings can also cause pain and inflammation. Sometimes, a bee sting can result in serious illnesses. That is why it is crucial to take immediate removal steps, as soon as you spot the presence of a few bees or wasps in your house or a beehive very close to your residence.
In this article, we’ll discuss in detail how to identify different species of bees and how you can remove bees from your home as well as a number of other tips and facts that you’ll find useful. So, keep on reading.
Identification: Find Out the Type of Bees
Bees are found in large numbers. There are thousands of bee species, found in different parts of the world. So, it’s complicated to recognize each species easily. But you can identify them by looking closely at their body structure.
To get rid of bees, you first need to find out the kind of bees you are dealing with. In general bumble, honey, and carpenter bees are seen around human residences. The entire body of a bee is covered with tiny or fuzzy hair. It has six legs, an antenna, a sting, and a pair of wings. If you are not an expert, you will not be able to distinguish between a bumblebee and a carpenter bee. Usually, the body of a bee is half black and half yellow. Some species of bees are dark brown and golden in color. You can differentiate between one bee species and another on the basis of coloration as well.
Size of Bees
Another important identification factor is their size. If you don’t have knowledge of their size, it will be difficult for you to identify what kind of bees you have in your house. Bumblebees are bigger than honey bees. Honey bees are golden brown decorated with fine black stripes all over the body. Bumblebees are born with a black-colored body and they have fuzzy black and golden hairs on them. These factors will help you identify bees when they attack your home.
Bumblebees are also known as ground bees. You can easily differentiate a bumblebee from a honey bee because the former do not produce honey like the latter. They are large in size and especially make their hive in the ground. That is why they are popular as ground bees too. Bees like leafcutter, mining, and alkali are also regarded as ground bees.
Honey bees are good pollinators and help our ecosystem through pollination. Recognizing honey bees is not very difficult. You can identify them by their thorax and their bloated belly in which they carry honey. Other than that, the carpenter bees are like bumblebees and are large too in size. They do not produce honey either as bumblebees do. And mostly carpenter bees create their hive inside the wood. So, these traits help you a lot to identify the kind of bees that have entered your home. According to that, you can take measures to remove these pests.
Methods for Getting Rid of Bees
1. Use Garlic Spray
There is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on the chemical spray. You can rely on a homemade remedy of garlic. Garlic has a strong smell and can be a game-changer in eliminating a few bees or an entire bee hive. Take a good amount of garlic cloves and crush them together to make a smooth paste. Mix the garlic paste with water and pour it into a spray bottle. Now, spray it around your house or apartment and in all those places and corners where you have spotted the presence of bees. This homemade organic spray is surely going to help you make the bees leave from your home, backyard, and from neighboring areas.
2. Drive Away Bees with Peppermint
Another factor that efficiently works to keep the bees off from you and your family is plantation. Peppermint is a good agent to get rid of pests. Not only bees, but many other insects also hate the smell of peppermint. The best idea to drive the honey bees away is to plant peppermint in your yard, vicinity, and the location where they make their hives.
Apart from peppermint, there are many other plants that also prevent bees from making hives near your homes because of the strong scent. These bee deterrent plants include cucumber plant, neem, mint, cloves, citronella, and pennyroyal. Bees really hate the smell of these plants as well. That is why the plantation of such plants works well in the elimination of honey bees.
3. Spray Insecticide
Bees are important and beneficial, but sometimes they prove to be problematic for homeowners. Holes and cracks in the ceiling are perfect places for pests. Especially, carpenter bees love your homes and work hard with woods to make hives.
You can purchase chemical-based insecticides to drive away from the bees in your home. But before that, you need to fill all those gaps and spaces where bees can build their hives. So, take a spray bottle and wear hand gloves to spray the insecticide while following safety guidelines. If you have small children and pets in your house, you should be careful with the application of insecticide. These chemicals are harmful and so they must be kept out of reach of kids.
If you need expert advice on the application of insecticide for bees and wasps control, it is a good idea to seek the help of a pest removal specialist close to your area or town. If you reside in or near Moreno Valley, CA, you should give Final Exterminators a quick phone call for guidance.
4. Light Up Citronella Candles
Citronella candles also emit a harsh smell that repels not only bees but also wasps, mosquitoes, flies, and many other tiny creatures that attack homes. Citronella candles are easily available in the market. Take the candles and light up at the places bees have occupied. The best idea is to light up the candles at night because most of the bees stay in the hives. The scent of the candles forces the bees to leave the area and prevents them from returning.
5. Catch Bees with Bee Trap
Bee traps are also very good at removing these six-legged insects. These traps are generally designed to trap the bees. The trapping device looks like a small bucket with a lid. The lid of the bee trap has a narrow hole to get inside it. A sweet solution is kept inside the trap which attracts the bees inside and when they get inside they cannot find their way out. Thus this small and easy process proves very effective in getting rid of bees. If you do not want to spend money, you can also build this device at home using the required supplies.
6. Apply Cinnamon Powder
Who does not know about the versatility of cinnamon? It is a much-loved spice for most of the dishes and is found in all kitchens. This spice is not only used for cooking delicious food, but it also helps remove bees from homes. Bees find it hard to digest this natural repellent. It’s not a complicated process of getting rid of pests. Just sprinkle some cinnamon powder in the place, holes, and cracks where the bees have nested. But you need to be careful when using this method to eliminate bees. The strong smell of cinnamon bothers bees so much that they suddenly become offensive. If this happens, bees will start to sting anyone they come in contact with.
7. Make a Smoke
Probably, the smoke has been the easiest way of getting rid of the bees. Honey bees just hate the smell of smoke. When honey bees smell smoke, they think of it as a forest fire. Thus smoke is very effective in making the bees leave and prevent their return to the same location. Use cardboards and firewood to make smoke. Burn the material just under the beehive, so that the generated smoke directly hits the bees in their hive. Keep in mind that the smoke will make the honey bees aggressive. They will start to attack and sting anyone nearby. So, you should leave the place immediately after making smoke and get inside your house till bees have gone away.
Get Professional Help to Remove Bees and Wasps from Your Property
If the bee infestation in your house or apartment is too serious for you to handle alone, you should immediately seek professional help. At the Final Exterminators, we specialize in the fast removal of all kinds of bees and wasps. Our goal is to make your living or working environment safe and comfortable.
Our pest control services are available throughout Moreno Valley, CA. You can reach out to us via a phone call or email.
