People frequently ask the popular question about bee swarms or nests.. “How do I safely remove a bumble bee nest?” Many people don’t realize that bees are social by nature and they seek to establish a colony if their Queen has escaped. Every individual colony has a single queen. There’s a big difference between bumble bees and honey bees - and a difference in their colonies. Honey bee colonies are typically larger than bumble bee colonies - and it’s important to know the difference when the time comes to safely remove a nest or swarm.
It’s good to know that bumble bees can sting multiple times before they die and their sting can be very painful. Bumble bees also tend to sting people more often than honey bees.
It’s very important to NOT kill any types of bees. The bee population is threatened worldwide and we need all bees in our ecosystem for many of our plants and food products to survive. Maybe you’ve heard that Albert Einstein once famously said that without the honeybee and their ability to pollinate, humankind would only survive approximately 4 years. Make sure you know what variety of bees are in your garden or yard before you try to get move or get rid of them from your area.
Here are several effective tricks to safely remove bees from your yard or garden:
First and foremost, look for a beekeeper in your area. It’s easy to search online and see a list of any beekeepers in your area. Any beekeeper will likely come get the swarm free of charge - in fact, it could be their swarm that is looking for their Queen. A local beekeeper also knows how to safely move a swarm of bees.
2) If you’re left on your own, try mixing up a vinegar spray. Mix equal parts of vinegar and water and put it into a spray bottle or can. Be sure to wear protective clothing and spray the hive at night while the bees are resting. They don’t like the smell of vinegar so this will entice them to go build a home somewhere else - This should do the trick.
3) Citrus is another good way to ward off bumble bees. Boil a pan of water with lemon slices in it. The water should boil down to about one-third and then put it in the spray bottle. Spray this around the hive and on surrounding flower beds.
4) The sweetest way to get rid of bumble bees without killing them is to use cinnamon. Simply sprinkle some ground cinnamon around the hive at night for a couple weeks and they’ll eventually get the hint.
