Bees are a vital portion of our eco-system, and many wild plants, garden vegetables and agricultural crops could not thrive without their pollinating assistance. Unfortunately, bee populations are dwindling, so if it becomes necessary to get rid of them for reasons of personal safety, you should do as little damage to the hive as possible. Organic approaches provide some simple and non-toxic ways to keep bees at bay without decimating entire bee colonies.
Tasty Bee Lures
Slice a ripe pear or mango into several pieces. The fruit should be soft, sugary and fragrant, because bees are attracted to sweet aromas. There are also commercial bee attractants that rely on sweetness as their lure, but research has demonstrated that naturally sweet materials provide effective bait.
Place the fruit in a sandwich bag. Carry the bag to an area that is 15 to 20 feet from the area from which you want to draw the bees away.
Leave the top of the bag open. The fragrance will attract the bees, even as the fruit begins to rot.
Wait a few days and repeat the process, moving the new bag a few feet farther away from the location. Repeat this several times until the bees no longer approach the original location.
Noxious Bee Repellants
Avoid using colognes and aftershave, as these sweet smelling materials can attract bees. Refrain from burning scented candles outdoors or using commercial air freshening sprays.
Sprinkle powdered garlic generously around outdoor areas where bees have congregated. Bees find this odor offensive and will keep away. When garlic is applied directly to bees, the effect can be lethal.
Burn citronella candles to create a masking odor that keeps bees away. Citronella will not harm bees directly, but honeybees and bumblebees will avoid areas that are infused with its smell.
Organic Bee Pesticides
Spray a vegetable oil based horticultural oil as a topical pesticide on plants and other surfaces in the affected area where the bees might alight. For best results, this should be done in the evening, at night or early in the morning.
Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth in the area, if the horticultural oil proves ineffective. This is a more potent pesticide that will also affect bees in the hive.
Apply a pyrethrin spray if a still more toxic pesticide becomes necessary. This chemical is a fast-acting neuro-disruptive toxin that can stay active for up to a week before safely biodegrading. Pyrethrins are a chrysanthemum extract.
Pear or mango
Things You Will Need
If you have a severe bee problem or someone in your home is allergic, call in a professional bee keeper that will come and capture the bees without killing them.
- Dale Davidson/Demand Media