Bees are very beneficial insects that support the ecosystem throughout our planet. According to scientists, if the entire population of bees dies, then the earthly life of all living organisms will end. But there are cases when representatives of this species move into a residential building and cause inconvenience. Multiple insect bites are dangerous to the human body and can cause harm to health. Let's try to figure it out further how to get rid of bees in your own home.
How can you be sure it's really bees?
Before starting insect control measures, you need to make sure that these are really wild or domesticated bees. The ubiquitous wasps, bumblebees and hornets are often confused with beneficial fauna.
The wild variety of honey workers is much larger and more aggressive than their cultivated counterparts. Wild bee stings are more painful and poisonous. If domestic insects have mistakenly settled in the room, most likely there is a rapidly developing apiary next door, and the bees have found a quieter and more peaceful place to live.
Bees can also be distinguished by the following characteristics:
- they feed on flower nectar, while wasps and hornets are predators and do not disdain food waste;
- protruding, slightly inflated abdomen, other species have an elongated body contour;
- multiple villi covering the body of insects; in wasps and hornets the hairs are much smaller or absent altogether;
- move in small groups, while other representatives of this order prefer solitary flight;
- Unlike wasps and hornets, they do not show aggression and rarely attack humans.
Honey insects can also be distinguished by the location of the nest. Beneficial bees prefer to live in trees and logs, so they often set up hives in the walls of residential premises.
Important! Domesticated insects are characterized by their small size and bright, yellow-orange stripes. Wild bees have faded stripes on their bodies.
Why start with humane methods
You should not immediately use harsh methods to combat unexpected neighbors and try to destroy them. Hardworking insects are very useful and, in addition to honey, bring great benefits to the surrounding world. Therefore, it is necessary to try to preserve their population.
Initially, in the room you need to find their home, which they built in the house. As a rule, insects choose quiet, warm and calm corners for their hive, inaccessible to humans.
After the hive is discovered, you should try to move it closer to the apiary or nest of wild relatives. There is a high probability that the stray bees will mix with the colony and will no longer disturb them with their presence.
It is also necessary to report the appearance of a swarm in your home to the nearest beekeeper. If a beekeeper recognizes insects as his pets, he will definitely take them. Perhaps the bees will not like their new place of residence, and then they will return back to the house.
Preparing for the fight
It is necessary to carefully prepare for removing a swarm from the house.
- It is recommended to get rid of the wild swarm with the onset of spring. During this period, there is a minimum number of insects in the hive, so the risk of bites is significantly reduced.
- The fight against cultivated neighbors begins at the end of the winter period. Bees after hibernation are weakened, lethargic, and do not have the strength to show aggression.
- Work is carried out late in the evening or early in the morning, before sunrise.
- Clothing is chosen from dense fabric that insects cannot bite through.
- Also, clothing should cover the entire body, leaving no open areas; the face and head should be covered with a special helmet or hat with a mosquito net.
- The legs are hidden under high rubber boots.
- If you receive bites during work, you must remove the sting and treat the damaged area with an antiseptic and take anti-allergy medication. Wild bee stings are especially allergic.
Important! Honey insects have a heightened sense of smell. Before measures to combat them, do not consume strong-smelling food, drinks and tobacco. If the bees don't like the smells, they may become aggressive and attack first. In this case, work will have to be rescheduled for another time.
The use of folk remedies
To drive away unexpected neighbors, they use folk methods to combat them.
- The easiest way to get rid of bees is to plant lavender, mint, garlic, basil, onions or calendula in your garden or home. Insects cannot tolerate the smells of these plants, so they will try to leave the area where they grow. You can also hang bags of dried flowers indoors and next to the nest.
- Insects cannot tolerate noise or sharp sounds. If you play loud music near the swarm’s place of residence, it will quickly leave it.
- Stripes cannot tolerate smoke. But this method is not suitable for use at home.
- If kerosene or gasoline gets into the hive, the bees die. But this method of control is not humane and dangerous due to the high flammability of the substances.
- When acetic acid or hydrogen peroxide is sprayed inside the nest, the bees' familiar smell is lost and they leave the hive, after which it must be burned.
Important! If honey stripes have taken up residence in your chimney, lighting the fireplace or stove will not help get rid of them. The high temperature will cause honey to spread down the chimney and attract even more uninvited guests.
Special repellers
To drive unwanted residents out of walls or other hard-to-reach places, special devices are installed that repel them. The compact device operates on the basis of ultrasonic radiation, which causes discomfort to insects, and they leave the inhabited area.
You can use a recording of birds singing and chirping. Insects will also not like such noise.
Chemicals
To destroy aggressive wild swarms, insecticide-based preparations are used. The nest and its entrance holes are treated with chemicals. After the death of the insects, the nest is destroyed by fire.
Traps
A bee trap is used to move a swarm to another location. They make the structure from plywood or cardboard or use plastic or glass containers, having previously made holes in it for insects and ventilation. In order for the bees to begin to settle in a new place, the structure is treated with a special agent that attracts a swarm. You can also use honey or sugar syrup and place it inside the trap.
Important! After moving the swarm into the trap, the structure is moved to a place remote from the house or garden plot.
Smoke bombs
Smoke bombs contain insecticidal substances that get rid of unwanted neighbors even in hard-to-reach corners of the house. Smoke is capable of penetrating into any cracks and openings, therefore it is used for intensive combat against uninvited residents.
Prevention
To avoid the unplanned appearance of an insect nest in your home or garden, you must follow these rules:
- get rid of honey plants that attract insects;
- do not allow fruits and berries to overripe; after ripening, the harvest must be harvested immediately, otherwise the sweet fruit nectar will attract a large number of guests;
- Coniferous trees or plants that repel bees are planted along the perimeter of the site.
In apartments and houses, it is recommended to install mosquito nets on windows to prevent new residents from entering the premises.
