13 Natural Ways to Get Rid of Bees [Homemade Bee Traps & Solutions]

Bees are great for the environment, but not so great for people. Bee stings can cause some serious pain in both humans and pets. Moreover, if someone is allergic to bees, it is very dangerous to have bees around.

Getting rid of bees using pesticides is never recommended, so it is always best to use natural methods to get rid of them. Thankfully, there are many natural methods available for getting rid of bees from your garden. 

How to Get Rid of Bees Naturally?

Below are 13 effective natural ways to get rid of bees. These methods include usage of household products to kill bees naturally, homemade bee traps, homemade bees wax, homemade bee spray and several other homemade solutions to kill bees naturally.

1. Smoke

Smoke is frequently used by beekeepers to remove bees. Smoke fools the bees into thinking that there is a forest fire, and it also masks their sense of smell. So, they fly away from the hive, and usually never return. Keep in mind, the bees may become aggressive if you smoke them. 

Required Items:

• Bee smoker 
• Wood or cotton

Step by Step Process:

• Put a sufficient amount of cotton or wood inside the bee smoker.
• Light the wood or cotton on fire then extinguish the flame. It should start smoking. 
• Identify where the bees are coming from. If they are coming from a hive nearby, then use the bee smoker near it.  
• Use the puffer to control the amount of smoke, and drive the bees 

Precautions:

Make sure to wear protective clothing before using smoke to drive out the bees. 

2. Pyrethrum Spray

Pyrethrum is a chemical that is derived from Chrysanthemum flowers. This is a toxic insecticide used to kill a number of different insects.

It can also be used to kill bees. Keep in mind that this spray will contaminate any honey that these bees produce, so you should not use this method if there is an apiary nearby. 

Required Items:

• Gloves 
• Pyrethrum
• Water 
• Dish soap
• Garden Spray 

Step by Step Process:

• Wear gloves while working with this chemical. 
• In a garden spray, add 1 gallon of water, and 1 teaspoon of dish soap. To it, add the appropriate amount of pyrethrum solution as instructed on the packaging. 
• Mix up the solution properly, then spray it over your garden. Concentrate on the areas with the most bee activity. 
• The bees will die within a day or two, and other bees will stop coming soon afterward. 

Precautions:

Do not use this method if there is a nearby apiary or beekeeper, because this spray can contaminate honey and pose a health risk for humans. 

3. Homemade Bee Spray using Vinegar

Vinegar is a good way to get rid of bees from your garden, as it will kill the bees directly. White vinegar is the best for this purpose as it is the most potent. If you don’t have white vinegar, you can also use apple cider vinegar as an alternate option.

Required Items:

• Vinegar
• Water 
• Spray bottle 

Step by Step Process:

• Mix water and vinegar in equal parts in a spray bottle. 
• Shake the bottle well to mix the vinegar, then you can use it. 
• Spray this mixture directly on bees in your garden. They will die immediately. 
• Discard the dead bees immediately, so that other bees don’t follow the dead bee. 

Precautions:

Vinegar spray will kill the bees but it won’t prevent them. So, use some other prevention methods as well. 

4. Homemade Solution for Bees using Soapy Water

Soapy water is used to kill insects in the garden. It can also be used to kill bees. You can use this method both inside and outside the home, however, soapy water will only kill bees if they come in contact with it. This is best used to get rid of bees in a swarm outside the house. 

Required Items:

• Dish Soap
• Water 
• Garden hose 

Step by Step Process:

• In a bucket, add 1 gallon of water and 1 cup of liquid dish soap. 
• Mix the two ingredients together, then attach a hose to the bucket. 
• Spray down a swarm of bees directly with the liquid. Keep spraying until most of the bees have fallen down on the ground. 
• Wash down the bees with more soapy water until they are dead. You can then discard them using plain water. 

Precautions:

Make sure to wash down the soapy water with plain water, later on, otherwise, the surface will become very slippery. 

5. Citronella spray

Citronella is commonly used to repel a variety of insects. You can buy citronella spray, or make it at home by yourself. Regularly spraying it will keep the bees away from your home while also making your house smell fresh. 

Required Items:

• Citronella Oil
• Rubbing alcohol 
• Water
• Spray bottle 

Step by Step Process:

• Mix 1 cup water with 1 cup rubbing alcohol and add this to a spray bottle. 
• Add 20 drops of citronella oil to the mixture. Shake the bottle well. 
• Now use this spray around your house. Concentrate around the areas where you have seen bees before, such as a window, or your patio. 
• The smell of citronella will keep the bees away from the area. 
• Re-apply the spray every 2-3 days to keep the bees from coming back. 

Precautions:

You have to keep re-applying the spray every 2 to 3 days to make sure that the bees don’t return. 

6. Cinnamon

The smell of cinnamon repels bees. You can easily make a cinnamon spray at home, which you can use to keep the bees out. This is a method that is best used indoors. You do need to re-apply frequently, to ensure that the smell is still strong enough. 

Required Items:

• Cinnamon
• Cinnamon Oil 
• Spray Bottle 
• Water 

Step by Step Process:

• Mix 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in 1 cup of water.  
• Add 5 to 6 drops of cinnamon oil to the mix, and then put the mixture in a spray bottle.
• Shake the bottle well, then spray it around your house, concentrating on the areas where bees enter from. 
• You can also spray this mixture outside on your plants. 
• The spray will keep bees away from your house for a few days up to a week. If you continue seeing bees, then spray more of it around your house. 

Precautions:

Keep this spray out of the hands of children and pets. 

7. Bitter Almond Oil

Bitter almond oil is a good essential oil to get rid of bees. The strong smell of bitter almond oil will keep bees away from your house. Make a spray with this oil at home using some simple ingredients and then you can spray it around your house to repel bees. 

Required Items:

• Bitter almond oil
• Water 
• Isopropyl alcohol 
• Spray bottle

Step by Step Process:

• Mix ½ cup of water with ¼ cup of isopropyl alcohol. 
• Add 20 drops of bitter almond oil to the mixture. 
• Add this to a spray bottle. Shake the bottle well before use. 
• Spray it on the areas where you have previously seen bee activity. Additionally, you can also wipe down your windows and entryways with the spray to prevent bees. 
• When the strong smell of bitter almond oil starts to fade away, spray it again.

Precautions:

Bitter almond oil can irritate your skin, so use it carefully. 

8. Peppermint

Peppermint is a popular material used for getting rid of insects. It is commonly used in many insect repellents, including bee repellents.

The strong smell of peppermint can keep bees out of your house, and also repel them from your garden. You can make peppermint spray at home using simple ingredients. 

Required Items:

• Peppermint Oil
• Water
• Rubbing alcohol 
• Spray bottle

Step by Step Process:

• In a spray bottle, add 1 cup of water to 1 cup of rubbing alcohol. 
• Add 20 drops of peppermint essential oil to the mixture, then close the bottle and shake well. 
• Spray this mixture throughout your garden thoroughly. You can also spray this mixture inside your home as well. 
• Repeat the spraying process every 5 to 7 days if the bees have not completely gone away. 

Precautions:

You need to re-apply the solution every 3-4 days to ensure that the bees don’t come back. 

9. Homemade Remedy for Bees using Garlic Powder

Garlic has a strong smell that repels bees. Which will why it is a great way to force the bees to relocate from your house. Even if the bees hive is not inside your property, the garlic powder can still drive the bees away from your garden and home. 

Required Items:

• Garlic powder

Step by Step Process:

• If the beehive is inside your property, you can sprinkle garlic powder around it, or even inside it. 
• If you are not sure where the hive is, then simply sprinkle the powder around your garden, concentrating on the areas that have the most bees present. 
• The strong garlic smell should encourage the bees to go away and not return to your house. 
• You can re-apply the powder if you see that the bees are coming back again and again. 

Precautions:

If the bees keep coming back, then you should keep re-applying the powder until they go away permanently. 

10. Borax

Borax is a common ingredient used for laundry, but it is also used for killing several insects, including bees.

It is important to keep in mind that borax will contaminate the hive, so it is not recommended to use if there is a local apiary. Otherwise, this is a good solution, as it will get rid of the bees from the hive itself. 

Required Items:

• Borax powder
• Gloves 

Step by Step Process:

• Always use a pair of gloves while working with borax powder. 
• Sprinkle the borax powder around your garden, in the areas where bees are most persistent.
• If the hive is inside your property, you can sprinkle some borax powder near and around the hive as well. 
• Within a few days, a number of bees will die, and the rest of them would likely relocate, so you don’t have to worry about bees anymore. 

Precautions:

Do not use this method if there is a nearby apiary or a beekeeper, as borax can contaminate the honey and kill beneficial bees. 

11. Bug Zapper

Bug zappers can effectively get rid of bees from your home. This is a good method if you have a beehive nearby your house, but you cannot get rid of the hive.

Bug zappers usually use UV light to attract insects, which will not attract bees, but you can still use it manually to get rid of bees. You can get several bug zappers online. 

Required Items:

• Bug zapper

Step by Step Process:

• Switch on a bug zapper, then leave it outside your home in the garden or patio during the daytime. If you see that the bees are attracted to it, you can leave it to work by itself. 
• If the bug zapper does not attract the bees towards it, then you can manually wave around the zapper in an area with a lot of bees to zap them. 
• You may need some time to get rid of all bees from your garden, so using multiple zappers can save you some time. 

Precautions:

Make sure to place the bug zapper in an area where the bees are most active. Otherwise, you will never get rid of all of them. 

12. Bee Traps

Many commercial bee traps are available for purchase. They usually have a sticky material that has a floral scent to attract bees. These are very effective at catching bees in your garden, and they are also easy to discard. This is an environmentally safe way to get rid of bees from your garden.

Required Items:

• Bee trap

Step by Step Process:

• Open the bee trap and unwrap the sticky surface. 
• Hang the bee trap in your garden, in an area where there is the most number of bees. 
• Within only a few hours you’ll see that a number of bees have flocked around and stuck to the trap.
• After enough bees have been trapped, you can discard the trap and the dead bees. 

Precautions:

It may also trap other insects on it, so try to keep it in an area where bees are most prevalent. 

13. Homemade Bee Traps

You can make a trap to catch bees at home using some simple materials. This is a great way to get rid of bees from your garden, without harming the environment. This method works by drowning the bees, so they are easy to discard as well. 

Required Items:

• Water Bottle 
• Soda 

Step by Step Process:

• Cut an empty water bottle in half. Fill it up halfway with soda. 
• Make multiple of these traps and put them around your garden. 
• When bees smell the sweet soda, they will come near it, but when they try to sit on the surface, they will die. 
• After a day or so, go back to your traps, and discard any dead bees immediately. 
• You can repeat the process again for more bees. 

Precautions:

Keep the trap away from your house, since a lot of bees will swarm around it for a while.

How To Keep Bees Away Naturally?

Below are 3 natural ways to keep bees away. These simple natural techniques are proved very effective to prevent bees.

1. Plant repellent plants

Bees do not like several plants such as Cucumber, Mint, Basil, Marigold, etc. Planting these plants in your garden will keep bees away from your home.

Generally, bees are only attracted to the plants they can collect nectar from, so you can be sure that bees will not be attracted to your garden or house.

2. Avoid flowering plants

Bees are usually attracted to your garden because they are searching for nectar from flowers. If you avoid planting flowering plants in your garden, you can also prevent bees from coming towards your house. 

3. Cover or remove outdoor items

Items such as patio tables, chairs, grills, sheds, etc. can be the perfect place for bees to build their hive. To prevent this, you can cover the outdoor items, or remove them when they are not in use.

Furthermore, if you have any sheds outside, regularly check them for hives. If there is a hive present, break it up while it is still small. 

Best Natural Repellents to Make Bees Go Away

If you are looking for readily available natural repellents to get rid of bees, check below listed best Natural and Organic bees repellents.

Final Words:

Most people are annoyed or scared of bees, so it only makes sense to get rid of them from your garden. However, it is always important to remember that bees are beneficial insects and they are very important for the environment.

They play an essential part in agriculture, so never get rid of bees from agricultural lands. That being said, we hope that you can use these natural methods to get rid of bees from your garden.