If a colony of bees takes up residence in your backyard, it can be bad news for you and your family. It’s not very good for the bees either. If a member of your family gets too close to the hive, the bees may feel threatened and sting in self-defense. Bee stings are painful and possibly dangerous if you get stung more than once or are allergic. The defensive act causes a bee’s stinger to pull out, causing so much damage to the abdomen that the bee dies shortly thereafter.
Because their populations are dwindling to critical levels, bee removal should only be a last resort if you and the insects cannot coexist peacefully. It is better to keep them off your property in the first place, but you have to be careful to do so without harming them. Pesticides and other harsh synthetic chemicals are out, but there are some ways to repel bees from your property naturally.
Vinegar
Everyone’s heard the old saying that you can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. It turns out to be the literal truth. Not only are you unlikely to catch any bees with vinegar, but they also actively stay away from it if you have it around your property in open containers.
However, you need to be careful. Vinegar is highly acidic. If you spill it on any of your garden plants, they could die. Therefore, you should keep it on your property in protected areas in containers that are difficult for animals to drink from. Pure vinegar may be too strong for the bees, and they could die if they fall into it or even get too close. To protect the bees while still taking advantage of the repellant properties of vinegar, try diluting it in water.
Citronella
Citronella is known as a natural mosquito repellant. As it turns out, it has a similar effect on other insects, including bees. If you are already burning citronella candles on your property for mosquito control, they may already be doing double duty by repelling bees as well. If you are not already using citronella candles, you may want to consider using them against bees and mosquitos alike.
If you’re concerned that burning candles could pose a fire danger, there are other ways of using citronella. It also comes in a liquid that you can spray around your property. Doing so does not hurt the bees, but citronella is so noxious to them that they will often leave the property.
Peppermint
Peppermint has a strong, sweet odour. Most insects love it, but bees are an exception. Bees have a very sensitive sense of smell that they use to find food and communicate with one another. Peppermint interferes with this, so bees will not linger where it is present.
You can use peppermint essential oil on your property to repel bees, but it might be more effective to plant peppermint in your garden. This makes it easier for you to enjoy the lovely aroma. As a bonus, you can use fresh peppermint in food and drink recipes that call for it.
Both peppermint and citronella repel bees by interfering with their olfactory senses. You can try both on your property to see if one works better than the other. If you prefer the smell of one over the other, that may be the deciding factor.
Bee Removal by Truly Nolen
While these methods may be effective at deterring bees from your property, they may not be adequate against a large colony. The sheer numbers may overwhelm your efforts at repelling them. Ultimately, pest control in Kitchener may be your only option. Contact Truly Nolen, and our professionals will assess the situation and recommend the most effective and reasonable solution.