How to keep bees away

What attracts bees to your property?

Summertime and warm climates bring pool parties, barbecues, flowers, and consequently, bees. Not only are these visitors uninvited, but they can quickly crash a party. Bees are attracted to places with food, water, and shelter. Sweet smells from flowers, fruit trees, outdoor drinks, or open trash cans can draw them in. Standing water, like puddles or birdbaths, can also bring them close.

Certain things near your home can make it even more inviting. If you’re wondering what attracts bees to a house? The answer is often open wall spaces, roof eaves, or quiet corners in sheds where they might try to nest. Keeping these areas clean and sealing any cracks and gaps around your property can help stop them from settling in. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can keep your backyard safe from bees this season.

Identify the bees on your property

Not every flying insect is a bee, and not all bees behave the same way. Spotting the differences can help you figure out the best way to deal with them. For example, carpenter bees often drill into wood, while honey bees may build larger hives in sheltered areas. Bumblebees tend to stay lower to the ground and are more likely to be seen near plants and shaded spots. 

You can learn more about the different types of bees in our blog.

Why is it important to keep bees away?

Bees don’t go looking for trouble, but they will defend their nest if they feel threatened. This can lead to stings, which can be painful and dangerous for anyone with allergies.

Risks of uncontrolled bees on your property

Large colonies can harm structures by nesting in walls, roofs, or chimneys. This could damage the building's integrity. Their aggressive swarming can also pose a threat to pets and children. Outdoor activities as simple as mowing the lawn can prompt bees to feel threatened, causing them to hover, chase, and even sting. Stings can be life-threatening to those who are allergic. 

Many people ask how to keep bees away from their houses once they’ve started showing up. The best way to help deter bees is to remove attractants and, if they have settled in and established a nest nearby your property, call in professional bee control. Acting early helps avoid potential damage to your property and lowers the risk of being stung.

Want to learn more? Here's everything you should know about stinging pests.

Methods to keep bees away from your house

Grilling outside with open drinks and uncovered food is an invitation for stinging pests to join you, but that’s not the only thing drawing them in. Here are some methods to help deter bee populations from your home so your family and guests can soak up the sun in peace.

1. Avoid flowery fragrances

Since nectar is sweet, it’s no surprise that bees are attracted to sugar and floral perfumes. This includes heavily scented sunscreen, hairspray, and cologne. Always wear sunscreen outdoors, but select one that’s unscented. Hairspray and perfumes should be avoided entirely as these can attract a variety of insects in addition to bees.

2. Deterring scents

While scent is the easiest way to attract these unwanted guests, it’s also the easiest deterrent! Simply incorporate scents that humans find pleasant and bees find repulsive.

Some of these off-putting fragrances are peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, and thyme. Add a generous amount of essential oil containing one or all of these herbs to a bottle and spray it on poolside items like floaties, pool noodles, towels, chairs, etc. or anywhere else you plan on spending time with family and guests.

Bees also have a distaste for lavender oil, citronella oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, lemon, and lime. These are all topical defenses you can add to your skin to keep bees away. Unlike other flying insects, bees are not attracted to the scent of humans; they are just curious by nature. Once a bee gets a waft of any of the scents above, it will head the other direction.

Another tool you can use to deter bees from flocking to poolside plants and patio furniture is dryer sheets. This will leave your yard bee free and smelling fresh.

3. Keep food and drink covered

Uncovered, sticky beverages increase your chances of getting stung tenfold. Soda cans, in particular, are notorious for harboring these stealthy invaders. Remember to always pour beverages into a cup with a lid and use containers to hold food. Plastic wrap and aluminum foil may seem like secure options, but they’re not foolproof.

4. Avoid bright colors

Avoiding colorful clothing, swimsuits, and towels will lower your chances of looking like a meal. While bees do not feed on humans, colorful attire can confuse and attract them. Bees see a much broader range of colors than humans. What looks like a pale yellow tie-dye shirt to us may look like a bright, appetizing sunflower to them.

5. Wear a hat

Bees have a heightened sense of awareness around hair and fur as these are traits of honey hijackers. Dogs should avoid bee-ridden areas completely for this reason, but humans can wear a hat to blend in better.

6. Alter landscaping

Modifying the landscape around your home doesn’t necessarily mean removing flowers in the garden. Simply adding mint or lemongrass plants to your display will act as a powerful repellent.

7. Proactively look for nests

Regularly inspect areas around the home for nests as this is where bees may become aggressive and territorial. Common places to find hives include under decks and porches and along fences. If you notice a nest or other areas of concern, don’t attempt to treat it yourself. Call our bee control experts at Western Exterminator at 800-937-8398 to assess and safely remove hazardous breeding areas.

Knowing how to keep bees away gives you more control over your space and helps lower the chances of unwanted contact.

Bees and swimming pools

Bees see pools the same way humans do—a refreshing body of water to cool off in on hot summer days—but they also use pool water to hydrate their young and maintain temperatures in the hive. Optimal conditions like this will cause bees to flock by the dozen.

Pool treatments are expensive, and the last thing you expect to be servicing is the local bee population. The truth is, it is these very chemicals that lure them in! Bees see saltwater and chlorinated pools ⁠as sweet, enchanting bodies of water. Pool owners can take these extra steps, in addition to the ones listed above, to avoid sharing their pool with unwelcome swimmers.

Jets

All types of bees are poor swimmers, so homeowners should take advantage of this weakness. Turbulent water signals danger, thus deterring bees from landing. Turning on pool jets will make ripples in the surface of the water, causing a bee to hightail it out of there.

Mothballs

This step isn’t limited to pool owners, but since mothballs have an unpleasant odor, it’s unlikely to be a preferred repellent method. Add mothballs to a decorative cloth bag or pantyhose and hang it by the pool. This will act as an effective defense against bees and the chemicals in the water should mask the fragrance for humans.

Alternate water supply

Following these steps will lower threats by your pool, but where do they go now? Try coaxing them to another nearby water source like a birdbath or fountain. Rerouting them to a new location where they feel safe could make for a permanent solution.

Get in touch with the bee control experts

Bees are essential to the ecosystem, so killing them is not recommended. Remember, bees only attack when provoked so stay calm and don’t panic. Contact the experts at Western Exterminator to safely and humanely remove bees from your home so you can enjoy the great outdoors.

Frequently asked questions