Bees are important to human life and the environment. Aside from sourcing honey, these little creatures are also essential for pollination. However, bees can also be dangerous should they be found around or near your home. For one, having a bee nest or hive near your home increases your chance of getting stung by bees.

Aside from bee stings, having swarms of bees around your house can trigger dangerous allergic reactions that can be fatal for some people. Hence, it’s important to know the signs of a bee infestation and how to protect you and your family from one.

Signs of a bee infestation 

A bee infestation occurs when a colony cannot find a suitable place to build their hives. Once this colony finds ample supply of food and water near your home, it will most likely set up its home there. When this happens, you can expect to see swarms of bees flying around your home all the time. Here are some signs of a bee infestation that warrant immediate attention:

• Excessive number of bees

The most obvious indication is if there’s a large swarm of bees flying around your house. If you can’t seem to get rid of them no matter what you do, it’s highly probable that you have a beehive colony in your home.

• Presence of active nests

Active bee’s nests are often found in trees, underneath your floorboards, in your garage, or inside wall voids. If you suspect that your house is infested by bees, it’s recommended that you do a thorough search for nests around your area, or consult a pest control specialist.

• Emergence of dark patches on the walls and ceilings

If you notice that your walls or ceilings are full of dark patches, this can be a sign of a bee infestation in your home. Bees, particularly honeybees, often build their nests in between walls or above the ceilings. The honey produced from these nests will then leave dark patches on your walls or ceilings, which is a clear indicator that your house is experiencing a bee infestation.

Home remedies for fighting bee infestations

As mentioned, bee infestations can have harmful effects on the quality of your home and the health of your family. There are various ways to fight off bees naturally, some of which are safe for the environment but kill the bees. Here are some of the best home remedies that you can do to get rid of bees without killing them:

• Smoke

Smoke is considered one of the most effective ways to keep bees away from your home. Bees are quite sensitive to smell, and when they smell smoke, they’ll most likely think it’s a forest fire. This will then cause them to leave and search for a new home.

• Moth balls

Moth balls have a strong scent that bees don’t like and avoid. Hanging moth balls near their nests will most likely deter the bees from coming back. If you want to keep your yard free from bees, you can also hang moth balls around in different areas.

• Cinnamon

Just like moth balls, the strong smell of cinnamon is also an effective natural bee repellant. To adopt this remedy, spread the cinnamon over the areas where you think bees are found most of the time. You might need to do this more frequently for the smell to last longer.

• Peppermint

Bees are also not fans of the smell of peppermint. To use this method, you can place peppermint plants in areas of your house where bees fly around most frequently. This will drive the bees away and also leave you with some peppermints to use later on!

• Citronella

Citronella is another good bee repellant. If you have suspect there’s a beehive inside your house, you can use a citronella candle to force the bees to leave. This will not harm the bees, but it might take a while for the method to work. You’ll most likely need to leave the candles burning for a couple of days for the solution to be completely effective.

Why hiring a professional is the best solution

Eliminating bees inside or around your house is not an easy task. If the infestation is taking place indoors, managing the infestation on your own can be almost impossible. The main reason behind this is the hive – even if you’ve successfully driven all the bees away, another colony will take over soon if you leave the hive behind. This creates an unending cycle of bee infestations and stress in the long run.

To make sure that your bee infestation problem does not come back, hiring a professional is your best bet. Pest control companies like PestClinic have a range of treatment methods that are more potent and effective than regular home remedies to target the infestation at its root.

Conclusion

Bees are indeed an important type of insect that serves several essential functions for the environment and even for humans. However, having an excessive number of bees flying inside or around your home can potentially be dangerous for you and your family; and not to mention, cause unnecessary distress and frustration.

If you need help in taking care of a bee infestation, PestClinic is here for you. We have a wide range of solutions ranging from bee pest control to mosquito pest control services– contact us to get a free pest control quotation today!