Bees are an essential part of nature. Although known for their honey-producing skills, their real job is pollination. Bees transfer pollen between flowers, allowing them to breed and create new plants. Surprisingly, the majority of human food that comes from plants relies on bees for pollination.
But, that doesn’t mean you want a bee’s nest in your garden. In general, they are passive insects, if they sting you they will die. That won’t stop them stinging if you become a threat to their hive.
That’s why you need to discover the 5 effective ways of getting rid of bees naturally, without killing them. It helps to have the number of your local pest control company handy, in case you need them.
You should also be aware if you have a bee allergy and take steps to stay out of their way.
- Bagging The Nest
This is best done by the exterminators, but it is possible to do it yourself. The basic procedure is to put the hive into a bag, keeping it whole. You will need to climb up to the nest and slide the bag up from the bottom before detaching it from the wall/tree/etc. Then, quickly secure another bag over the top.
This traps the bees and allows you to move the entire nest and place it somewhere else, well away from your house.
Of course, you will aggravate the bees, it’s best to do it at night and wear dark clothes.
- Get A Beekeeper
This may seem a surprising approach but it is effective, especially if you’re dealing with honey bees. In most places, the honey bee is becoming endangered. A local honey beekeeper will have the right equipment to safely remove the nest and transport it to their home.
Surprisingly, if the nest is easy to access and remove the beekeeper may even pay you for the bees!
- Fake Nests
Prevention is generally better than cure. In other words, keeping the bees away saves you from needing to deal with the issue.
As bees are generally territorial it is possible to hang fake nests up in the early spring. This can discourage the bees from arriving.
- Trapping Bees
Another option to get rid of bees naturally is to trap them. However, you should note this is generally a slow process.
You’ll need to purchase a bee trap or make your own one, the trap will lead to a replacement hive that the bees can move to and you can easily move.
The idea is to use a mesh tunnel that allows the bees out of their current hive but doesn’t let them back in. The replacement hive is essential to keeping the bees alive. This tunnel must be placed over the only entry/exit to their hive.
It can take several weeks for all the bees to migrate and the queen will never leave, you’ll have to dispose of the nest with her in it or inject it with pesticide.
- Soapy Mint Water
This process is natural but it will kill the bees. Simply mix two cups of peppermint castile soap with 2 cups of water.
Dress up in protective clothing and then pour this mixture into the hive. Add a kettle of boiling water and the mixture will be spread, effectively killing the bees.
