Now that the weather for picnics, BBQs and fun in the sun is officially here, you may already be noticing the resurgence of seasonal pests like bees.
The last thing most people want to deal with when enjoying the outdoors is bees buzzing all around you…especially people like me who are allergic to bee stings.
It’s tempting to use commercial bee repellents or insecticides to deal with this issue, but there are a few problems with that:
- They tend to be highly toxic and contain chemicals you don’t want yourself or your loved ones to come in contact with.
- Like most chemicals, they are terrible for the environment.
- It’s a very bad idea to kill bees, no matter how much you dislike or fear them.
Why are bees so important?
The main purpose for bees to exist in the first place is that they are pollinators. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), “cross-pollination helps at least 30 percent of the world’s crops and 90 percent of our wild plants to thrive. Without bees to spread seeds, many plants — including food crops — would die off.”
This make bees essential to our very existence!
They are so important, in fact, that California almond growers import honey bees from other states to pollinate their crops each year.
You may be thinking, “Okay, great…so that means I just have to live with bees ruining my BBQ, or live in fear of getting stung when I’m trying to enjoy time outside?” NO! The good is news is there’s a natural remedy that repels bees to keep them from bothering you in the first place.
Read on after you score the natural DIY formula below for more helpful tips on not attracting bees to your outdoor space.
THE DIY FORMULA
This bee repellent is a snap to make!
Equipment you’ll need:
- Stainless steel funnel (Find them here on amazon.)
- 8-ounce glass spray bottle (Find them here on amazon.)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon of unscented or peppermint-scented liquid Castile soap (Find it here on amazon.)
- 5 drops of peppermint essential oil (Find it here on amazon, or get it directly from Plant Therapy here.)
- 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- Water to fill the bottle
How to make it:
- Start by adding the liquid soap to the glass bottle using the funnel. Then, fill the bottle almost to the top with water.
- Add the peppermint essential oil. (A lot of insects dislike the smell of peppermint, so this ingredient helps repel more than just bees.)
- Add the cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
- Put the bottle sprayer top on tight, and shake the ingredients extremely well. Be sure to shake the bottle before each use.
- Spray the repellent around doors, windows, decks, patios, play equipment, etc. Also spray underneath lawn chairs, tables and on walkways.
This natural bee repellent works because even after the water evaporates, the stickiness of the soap helps leave behind the peppermint, cinnamon and cayenne smells to deter the bees (and other insects) from hanging around.
CAUTION: Do not spray the repellent directly at a bee, wasp or hornet, because it may become agitated and come after you. Wasps are especially aggressive. If you have what seems to be a serious infestation around your home, call a professional for help…preferably one that offers bee relocation services instead of extermination.
NOTE: It’s important to use a glass spray bottle with this formula (and any DIY formula that includes essential oils), because essential oil can break plastic bottles down. Plus, I highly recommend avoiding as much plastic material as possible in your home, because it is not good for your health or the environment.
HELPFUL TIPS TO AVOID ATTRACTING BEES
Bee experts recommend putting a generous serving of ketchup on a plate near the outdoor area you’re using to draw bees to the ketchup and keep them away from you. Ketchup tends to be high in sugar, so it becomes an easy food source that will attract bees…especially since it’s sweet.
Bee experts also recommend wearing light-colored clothing around bees. The reason is that bees are aggressive toward dark, fuzzy objects, so wearing light-colored clothing is helpful.
Also, skip wearing flowery scents or strong-scented soaps, hairsprays or deodorant. These sweet smells will attract bees and all kinds of insects.
If you see swarms of bees or wasps in your yard, take a look at your landscaping. If you have sweet-scented flowers and plants that are attracting the bees, you may want to rethink where and what you’re planting in your yard.
If you’ve taken all the recommend precautions to avoid attracting bees and are still experiencing a problem, check to see if there are bee relocation services in your area. These services will come to remove the infestation sources (bee hives) and relocate them to a safe place where the bees can continue to work their pollination magic for our environment.
Cheers to repelling bees naturally without damaging your health or the environment!
With love and gratitude,
Kandi
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