From the middle of March until late May the United States of America obtained the swarming period. This is the time when bees start to reproduce and also leave their initial colony searching for a new place of living to organise the new colony. Why do we need to know how to keep bees away from your house?
Bee stings can pose a potential threat, especially for those who are allergic. When they look for a new home, they sometimes choose the roofs or the attics of private houses. Carpenter bees can cause structural damage by burrowing into wood, compromising the integrity of the property. Therefore, we would like to give you some advice concerning how to prevent carpenter bees from coming to your house. How to keep bees away from your porch?
Why Bees Can Come To Your House
In spring, bee populations are growing because of the period of reproduction, so they leave their colonies to form a new nest of branches. The future colony moves together: while the queen rests somewhere nearby, scout bees look for a perfect place to live in their surroundings.
What attracts bees? Of course, they enjoy the smell of honey, so if there have ever been beehives near your house or if they haven’t been removed to the end, carpenter bees can choose this beehive as their new residence. Besides, bees react to the climate conditions as well as the sources of food that can be not far from their home.
The Ways Of Bees Getting Inside Your House
Typically if you notice a bee that flies inside your home, you usually think that it has got inside through some open door or open window. Bees gather in specific areas like doorways and vents, making these common entry points.
But if you see them more and more often, you should consider other bugs that they could have come in. Let’s speak about the most widely known spots through which keeping bees can invade your house are the following:
To deter bees, make sure to seal these entry points effectively.
Daily Used Or Unmanaged Holes
Bees don’t need much space to get into the house since they are small enough to be able to use tiny holes. Therefore, even little gaps in the siding can become a door for keeping bees.
So if you want to prevent bees from invading your accommodation, you should get to know how to seal the dangerous spots with patching or caulking so that wasps and bees can’t get inside.
Chimneys
If your house acquires a fireplace and you notice bees in the room where it is located, they could have got there through your chimney. Trying to remove bees from a chimney yourself can be hazardous, so we think it’s better to call for a professional bee removal service.
If you are not fully sure, you can try to notice the bees noize in the chimney. You just have to turn off everything that gives off sounds and spend some time near your fireplace. If you hear some buzzing, you can be sure that there are bees in the chimney, bees cause damage.
Vents In Your Kitchen, Bathrooms Or A Laundry Room
The duct in your house leading to a laundry or a stove’s vent and organizing dryer ventilation can become rather attractive for bees seeking a new place of living. If you notice a bee in the room with a vent, try to listen near this vent.
If you notice sounds that are typical for deterring bees, close this vent from all sides so that bees can’t come to your house and invite some bee removal service.
Gutters And Attics: Watch Out For Carpenter Bees
Gutters can lead to holes appearing in the sides of your house over some time. In addition to this, attics can also face some problems because of cracks in the windows or holes in the walls.
You should regularly check these places since they can easily be invaded by bees as well as some other insects or animals. Bees in attic and how to deal with them read detailed instructions here.
So, we have already learned how and for what reasons bees can get inside our houses, so we are sure that you all want to know what you can do to prevent bees from invading your home.
As we know, we have to check all the places in the house including attics and basements, and check whether there are places where bees can enter and seal all the possible entry holes. Below you will find some more tips that you can use to keep bees away from your house.
How to Keep Bees Away from Your Home
So, we have already learned how and for what reasons bees can get inside our houses, so we are sure that you all want to know what you can do to prevent bees from invading your home.
As we know, we have to check all the places in the house including attics and basements, and check whether there are places where bees can enter and seal all the possible entry holes. Below you will find some more tips that you can use to keep bees away from your house.
Be Careful With Plants And Flowers Attractive For Bees
Some flowers and herbs, including poppies, clovers, honeysuckles, thyme, and oregano, attract more than other kinds. Bright flowers, in particular, are very attractive to bees due to their plentiful nectar source.
It doesn’t mean that you should remove all of these plants away from your garden and yard, but it’s better to make sure that they are rather far from the house and bees won’t get close to it and consider it as their future place of living.
Take Care Of Your Outdoor Items
If you spend a lot of time in your yard, you usually apply some outdoor equipment and furniture near your house. Such things as an outdoor grill, deck or a shed may be attractive for new bees generations.
Therefore, it’s better to cover such items when they are not used and regularly check them. And, in addition to this, it will be useful to store all the equipment in some closed space if it is possible.
Prevent Wasps From Coming
Wasps, which sting, even though they are not bees, are often mistaken for the latter ones. These insects are easily attracted by people’s food, so they are often noticed near trash cans or when people have meals outdoors. To prevent them from staying around you, you have to keep food sealed and keep trash in closed containers.
Natural Repellents
Several natural things are not enjoyed by bees, so you can use them to repel bees. These things include peppermint plans and potted marigolds, cucumber peels and cinnamon, organic baby powder, and garlic powder. Moreover, you can put some vanilla into your baby oil and spread it all over your skin.
How To Keep Bees Away From Your Porch
We all agree that bees are very important in our nature and ecosystem, and there is no doubt that to see them outdoors is a pure joy. But it’s obvious that our safety needs to keep these insects far from our houses, yards, and also porches. Bees feed on nectar and pollen and are attracted to sweet-smelling flowers and fruit scents.
To have a wonderful and cozy porch is a great experience, but no one would like to share this place with insects that can damage their property, harm their health and just make the rest on the porch inconvenient.
Therefore, it’s very important to do everything possible to create a safe and comfortable atmosphere for every house inhabitant and their guests as well. If something attracts bees to your garden, they can do a lot of harm to your property and pose a threat to your health. We also would like to give you some advice that will help you to prevent bees from flying around your porch. All you need to do is to make your porch and your yard less attractive for bees by using the special tips. They are the following:
- As well as near your house, it’s not advised to plant flowers and herbs attractive to bees near the porch;
- A good idea is to grow peppermint somewhere near the porch – bees don’t like this smell, so they won’t come close. Among other advisable flowers and plants there are basil, wormwood, geraniums, pennyroyal and eucalyptus;
- Cinnamon like peppermint happens to be a natural repellent for bees, so they will be chased away;
- Sprinkling cucumber peels also repels bees, so you can use it on the windows near the porch, for example;
- Some other things that also make bees go away are crushed garlic and dryer sheets, so you can just put them near the porch;
- You should accurately choose your perfume since some scents can also attract various insects including bees;
- It’s highly essential to examine your yard regularly to notice beehives on time and remove them.
Additionally, using citronella candles can help deter bees from your porch.
Of course, the pleasure of spending your time on or near the porch shouldn’t be spoiled by bees around. Therefore, we believe that it’s vital to know how you can prevent bees from buzzing nearby with the use of natural methods, otherwise they pose a threat for your health, property, and comfort.
If you have found a bee’s nest somewhere in your yard or in your house, you can try to remove it yourself. But we strongly agree to call for a professional bee removal service so that your health and property can be safe.
How Dryer Sheets Work Against Bees
It may be a surprise, but ordinary dryer sheets are suitable not only for washing your clothes. Such sheets with citronella in their content or which have the scent of citronella may be applied to scare bees away from your yard and your porch. You can apply them for rubbing areas of uncovered skin and keep the sheet in your pocket.
Moreover, you can put these sheets near the porch so that they will deter bees with their smell.
The scent of dryer sheets is not very important since any sheet with a vibrant smell will work as a natural repellent and bees and some other insect repellent won’t get close to the porch.
What Scents Are Not Enjoyed By Bees
People have already found out that many scents work as natural bee repellents. We have already named some of them, but we would like to repeat them again.
First of all, some plants, herbs, and spices including peppermint, basil, and pennyroyal, can be planted near your porch and your house so that bees will be deterred. To prevent bees from coming closer you can put some crushed garlic around your porch, use vanilla extract or some baby oil, and even cinnamon as bees repellents. People can think that it’s a strange method but those who have already used it will agree that it’s efficient against bees.
If you don’t like the previously mentioned smells, you can consider using smoke, bitter almond oil, and mothballs. In addition to this, eucalyptus, citronella, clove, and cedarwood oils are also effective. If bees notice such smells, they try to get as far from this place as they can since they can’t live their normal life near strong scents.
Vinegar Against Bees
Vinegar can also be applied against bees near your porch. You can mix white vinegar with garlic in a spray bottle and spritz it towards bees near your porch. Bees will definitely be repelled and some of them can even get killed by this mixture. Water mixed with vinegar put into a spray is also efficient. You can use apple cider vinegar as well as white vinegar since there is no difference between these types if you apply vinegar against bees.
Useful Tips: How To Keep Bees Away?
This video is about how to keep bees away. You will learn that dish soap and water keep and repel and kill bees.
What Else You Can Do To Keep Bees Away Outdoors
Of course, there are some methods except different scents which can be used to repel bees when you spend your time outdoors near your house or just in some park.
If you follow the advice mentioned below, you will be able to have a rest in your garden without any discomfort and dangers to your health and property.
Make Sure That Your Chosen Place Doesn’t Attract Bees
First of all, try to choose a place for outdoor meals that is far from places attractive for these insects. Soda cans, when left uncovered, can attract bees due to the sweet contents inside. It’s obvious that you shouldn’t choose a place near a beehive. Besides, you outdoor activities should be far away from such places where bees are often met, for instance, trash cans, tall grass or some old and unused playgrounds.
You shouldn’t use vibrant floral patterns and clothes. If you are going to apply a tablecloth, you should prefer some material with a plain muted color without any patterns, especially floral perfumes ones. Flowers even printed on some artificial materials still attract with their appearance.
People also shouldn’t use flowers in their dining areas. Bees happen to be pollinators, so big and vibrant flowers easily attract them. If there are some plants in pots on your patio, try to remove them before pool parties and gatherings.
If you are going to have a picnic in some park, try also to choose places not near flower displays. You should always take into account that bees are usually attracted by wildflowers and some herbs. including honeysuckle, and lavender. goldenrod, thyme, oregano, and chives.
Try Not To Attract Bees With Your Food
You should do your best to have your food accurately sealed. If your food containers are opened, the smell will attract these insects and they will be eager to examine what you have. To prevent that cover as much food as you can. It doesn’t matter how big your meal is, you can use, for instance, sealed food containers or some plastic wrap.
If you can’t keep your food covered, you can organize the food table indoors. Your guests may feel not so convenient because of the necessity to go inside to take food for them, but it will prevent large amounts of bees from coming to see what food there is.
Besides, when you are planning your meal, you shouldn’t use some pungent smelling or sweet food. It obtains a nice smell for people, but the smell is also enjoyed by bees. Therefore, the best way to deter bees from the place of your party or gathering is to change your menu to acquire more bland odors. It is not recommended to choose for your picnic such types of food as barbeque, especially which is prepared with some sweet sauces, salmon and fried chicken, soda, soft drinks, etc.
Thirdly, it’s highly essential to throw away all the trash immediately. Since bees are attracted to the smells of food, the smell of garbage is also enjoyable for them. Thus during your outdoor gathering or party, the best option is to have a trash can with a secure lid or even a dumpster somewhere nearby. All the trash should be put there immediately, so its smell won’t attract or any insects.
Repel Bees With Some Natural Materials
As we have already mentioned several times earlier, you can use different natural bee repellents to prevent bees from coming and spoiling your party. Using natural insect repellent can also help keep bees away from your gathering. You can also use some cucumber peels around the place you are going to have a meal since cucumber acquires the acid, scaring away such insects as wasps and bees. Of course, if you are planning outdoor meals in your patio, you can plant some cucumbers in a pot or near your house in advance.
There are also several types of flowers, including marigolds, which naturally repel bees. You can just plant them in your yard or in several pots and then place these pot around the place where you usually spend your free time outdoors near the house.
And, again we will mention that there are several types of natural bee-repellent essential oils such as cinnamon, vanilla, garlic and peppermint which are highly efficient in scaring bees and wasps away.
A good option is to make a plate of bee bait. What is this for? This plate will attract a sweet smell and will keep bees away from the place where you have a meal, from your guests, and from you as well. To make it you take a bowl, pour enough maple syrup, soda or some sweet juice into it, and put it at least five meters away from the place of your picnic.
You have to put this bowl about half an hour before your guests will come and gather in your yard. If you do it, bees will be attracted by this bowl and won’t bother your company.
Don’t Attract Bees To Your Body
First of all, when you choose clothes for a picnic or spending time outdoors, it’s better not to use clothes of vibrant colors or with some floral patterns. Bees usually think that clothes of such bright colors as red, purple, green or yellow happen to be flowers. And, of course, flowers printed on clothes also attract. Therefore, you should prefer clothes of some muted tones.
Besides, you should avoid wearing perfume and using some scented cosmetics. Bees actively react to bright smells of perfume, cologne, sunscreen lotions, aftershave lotions, hair gels, and hair sprays especially when they are used in big quantities. If you are going to spend some time outdoors, try to use hair and skin products with no scent
You should be aware of the fact that standard insect repellents don’t work against bees. They are effective against such insects as flies, mosquitos, gnats, and others, but they don’t deter bees. And, of course, typical insect-repellant candles don’t work with bees either since bees don’t notice candle smells.
How To Get Rid Of These Insects From Your House And Yard
If you have tried all of these ways to keep bees away from your yard and house but they still fly around you, you have to make sure that honey bees don’t have a beehive somewhere in your attics, under the roof or in your garden. Modifying the environment can deter bees from a bee colony from settling and encourage them to relocate.
If you have noticed their nest, the best way is to get rid of the beehive and the insects themselves. Of course, you can get rid of bees yourself, but it can be rather dangerous to your health as well as your property. Another good option is to call a professional bee removal service. First of all, they will examine your whole house and yard and will do everything to get rid of these insects and prevent them from coming back soon.
In Closing
So, we have covered several questions connected with bees in this article. Warm climates can increase bee activity, so it’s important to keep your backyard safe keeping bees. We can see that they come to places that have pleasant smells or some vibrant colors that remind them of flowers. When they look for a place to live, they can choose an attic of a nearby house if there are some entry holes through which they can invade anyone’s home.
If you want to deter bees from your porch, you can use some natural repellents like cucumber peels, vanilla or cinnamon. You should also avoid several types of flowers and plants around your porch. Of course, you shouldn’t remove them for good, just keep them in the farther part of your garden. A honey bee also shouldn’t be attracted by an open trash can – try to keep it closed.
We hope that this article will be helpful for you and that you will enjoy spending a generous amount of time in your porch without any buzzes and health and property hazards.
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