Do you avoid eating outside because bees sting you and land on your snacks and drinks?
Do striped, stinging intruders frequently invade and seize your summertime outdoor gatherings?
Bees are insects you do not want buzzing around your house or on you, even though they are vital to our environment. Bee season coincides with warm weather activities like:
- Backyard barbeques
- Pool parties
- Relaxing days on the lawn
Bees use their superior sense of smell to locate pollination sources. Using odors that bees detest will help you take advantage of this characteristic. Such scents include:
- Lemon, vinegar, and lime juice
- Citronella, almond oil, and cinnamon
- Peppermint, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder
- Smoke
Do not worry if buzzing bees are preventing you from enjoying outdoor activities.
Here are some of the greatest and most reliable recommendations for avoiding bees so you can concentrate on enjoying the summer’s pleasant weather and sunshine.
9 Ways To Keep Bees Away From Food
Even though many of us like dining outside throughout the summer, bees occasionally extend invitations to join in on the fun.
We may not like it if they fly into our personal space or land on our meals and beverages.
Here are the top nine techniques for keeping bees away from food:
1. Utilize Fresh Cucumber
Cucumber peels are a fantastic natural repellant for bees, although it sounds too simple to be true.
Slice up a fresh cucumber, then arrange the skins in a single layer on a pie plate made of aluminum.
Bees cannot bear the chemical smell released when the interaction between the cucumber and aluminum occurs.
Cucumber peels are a more natural option for tiny settings.
Place some fresh slices of cucumber skin on your dining table to deter bees if you open your windows to allow a summer breeze.
2. Do Not Use Bright Colors
Bees are drawn to objects with vivid colors and enticing aromas, anything that reminds them of flowers.
When choosing a tablecloth or picnic blanket, stay away from bright colors and flowery patterns.
Make sure to use only white or another non-floral color for the plates and napkins.
3. Use Typical Herbs To Ward Off Bees
Several common herbs scare off bees. They stay away from regions where such herbs are present and strong-smelling.
Herbs like peppermint, cinnamon, vanilla, and garlic are bee-repelling.
So, think about scattering some cinnamon or peppermint plants around your patio or picnic area.
You can also deter bees by cutting up a clove of garlic and letting it sit in a glass of water for a few days.
Set the glass of garlic water nearby when you are going to spend time outside.
4. Protecting Your Body Against Bees
Avoid wearing clothing with bright or floral themes.
Bees frequently mistake bold, vivid clothing for flowers, especially when it is colored in hues like red, yellow, purple, and green.
For similar reasons, clothing with a floral pattern will attract bees more. Less colorful clothing will deter bees.
Wearing perfume or other scented cosmetics is also not advised. Bees are attracted to places and people primarily based on their fragrance.
Bees will be drawn to scented cosmetics if the products have been used extensively. Such cosmetics include:
- Perfume or cologne
- Sunscreen lotion
- Aftershave and hair sprays
- Gels
Skip the perfume or fragrance if you know you will spend most of the day outside, and choose unscented hair products instead.
5. Make Some Bee Bait in a Bowl
Use a bowl of sweet-smelling liquid to attract the bees’ attention to keep them away from you and your guests outside while you are partying.
Set a bowl with a generous amount of soda, maple syrup, orange juice, or fruit juice.
The bowl should be around 5 yards from where you are having a picnic or dinner.
Set the bait about 20 minutes before you and your guests get outside.
6. Preventing Bee Attraction to Food
Maintain food seals because bees will have the ability to detect open food containers and will swarm in to explore.
Food should be kept as much as possible covered to deter bees. Even serving a full meal, keep the food in plastic-wrapped dishes or sealed containers.
Keep all of the food inside as an alternative. It may be a slight annoyance to request that visitors fill their plates inside before eating outside, but it will reduce the number of bees you experience.
Also, serve no sweet or strongly floured meals. Many items that smell wonderful to us will also smell good to bees.
Try to consume largely items with bland aromas to prevent attracting bees to your event with the food you serve.
Unfortunately, this necessitates avoiding some of your favorite picnic and patio dinner fare, such as:
- Barbeque (especially with a sweet sauce)
- Salmon
- Crispy Chicken
- Soda
7. Transfer Your Flowers
Bees do not simply fly about aimlessly. Their objective is to reach the pollen and nectar.
Move specific plants or flowers away from patio furniture, lawn chairs, or other areas where your guests will be if you are hosting a barbecue.
While not all flowers and plants appeal to bees, many have enticing aromas that they find irresistible.
Designing your garden also helps to know which plants bees enjoy.
If you wish to keep bumblebees away, keep the bee-friendly flowers on the perimeter of your property and away from your home.
8. Throw Away Rubbish Right Away
Bees are drawn to the smell of waste and food odors in general.
Be careful to remove trash from your picnic or outdoor dinner party as soon as possible.
Please put it in a dumpster or trash container with a tight-fitting lid to keep the odor inside.
You are almost certain to draw bees if you place bags of foul-smelling trash next to where you are eating.
9. Use Mothballs
Mothballs will not attract bees either.
Hang some of them close to your food by wrapping them in cheesecloth or used nylons.
The strong mothball odor will obscure other sweet-smelling aromas, and bees will stay away.
Takeaway
It is not advisable to kill bees because they are crucial to the ecology.
Remember that bees only attack when provoked, so maintain your composure.
Taking these precautions can reduce the threat of bees to your food.
These strategies will guide you on how to keep bees from wrecking your outdoor events during the summer.
It is crucial to make sure your home is clear of bee attractants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bug-Repellant Effective in Keeping Bees at Bay?
Insect repellant will not suffice to keep bees at bay.
Using insect repellant can effectively deter gnats, flies, and mosquitoes from landing on your skin.
Sadly, most insect-repellant treatments are ineffective at keeping bees away.
Similarly, candles that include insect repellents (like citronella) probably will not deter bees either. Bees do not appear to mind the fragrance of the candles like mosquitoes and gnats do.
How Do Bumblebees Work?
The Bombus terrestris, generally referred to as the bumblebee, is one of the most significant pollinators in the world.
These tiny organisms are crucial for a healthy ecosystem because they disperse pollen and flowers across the surrounding area. Bumblebees have two sets of wings:
The rear wings of bumblebees, which are smaller and function as sensors so they can travel using echolocation, provide them a special advantage over other insects. They can fly because of their bigger front wings.
