If your yard naturally attracts bees, it’s not difficult for a bee to make its way into your home.
They can do this through an open window, door, or even hitchhike on your laundry!
They could also be attracted to something in your home, such as the coolness, warmth, or something that smells sweet. Floral patterns and bright colors are also factors.
So if you have bright wallpaper, furniture, curtains, or anything else in your home, these can all attract bees to go inside your house.
To stop bees from coming into your home, it starts with stopping them from getting into your yard.
Once you control the bee population outdoors, you should no longer have problems with bees indoors.
Does that make sense?
Don’t kill bees!
Bees are just doing their thing.
Whatever the case you may be dealing with, it’s important to never kill bees.
They do A LOT for nature’s ecosystem and we should only relocate or repel- but never kill. These tips covered throughout this DIY pest control tutorial won’t kill bees.
You can use these potted plants as natural repellent stations to keep it a bee-free zone. Place them around your patio or deck or maybe even right on your windowsill!
DIY bee attractant
Before you ask:
“Wasn’t this supposed to be an article about keeping bees away, rather than attracting them?”
This approach works by attracting them to keep them away.
Let me explain.
This is a concoction that seems to work pretty well against bees.
You’ll need to make a very sweet liquid that’ll attract a ton of bees.
The trick is to attract all of them to one area so they avoid disturbing you. If you’re just outdoors trying to tend to your plants or read a book, you can set up this bee bait to keep them confined to a specific area.
Here’s how to make it.
What you’ll need:
Soda
Maple
Gatorade
Orange juice
How to make it:
Mix it all together into a bowl.
How to use it:
Place the bowl anywhere that you want to bees to be.
They’ll be attracted to the sweet scent and will flock to the bowl.
They’ll swarm over there and buzz around. This means they’ll leave you alone.
Of course, keep this away from you as you don’t want to be nearby when there are so many.
When you’re done, wait until there are no more bees to dispose of it.
You can wait until nighttime, but be sure there aren’t any bees remaining that you can’t see. Or else you may get stung.
Fennel oil
This is another essential oil that you can use to make some cotton ball repellents.
All you need to do is soak a cotton ball with fennel oil. Get the whole thing soaked up well.
Then place the cotton balls around your home in key locations. Think doorposts and windowsills, as they often enter form these locations.
You can also place these cotton balls outdoors, but they tend to dry up quickly from evaporation.
This is a very effective approach to keep bees away from your house.
Hyssop oil
Just like fennel oil, you can make hyssop cotton ball stations.
Try both and see the difference. Check out which one works best for your bee situation.
Different bee species respond differently to different essential oils.
Thyme oil
The last oil on the list.
You can make a thyme sock that you can hang anywhere you want. Seems to be pretty effective.
Here’s how to make the sock:
Try taking an old sock and dipping it in this oil completely.
When the sock is saturated with thyme oil, go ahead and wring it out a few times.
Then hang the sock above windows and doors to stop bees from entering your home.
You can also hang the sock under hummingbird feeders or birdhouses to keep bees from eating the precious bird nectar.
How to repel bees from yourself
And here are some techniques to protect yourself!
Sometimes you just need to protect yourself before your house, you know?
This section covers some natural home remedies you can use to protect yourself from bees.
Try out a few of them and see which one works best for you. They’re all relatively safe for humans and pets. But you still need to do your research. For example, dogs can’t eat garlic as it’s harmful to them.
Be sure that you’re not allergic or anything. And use common sense.
Vanilla
Just like cinnamon, vanilla is another thing you can use to keep bees off yourself.
You’d want to get a small bottle of vanilla extract from any grocery store.
Mix the extract (1 tablespoon) with a half-cup of water and apply it directly to your skin. This acts as a natural bee repellent to keep them off of yourself.
Baby oil
You can also apply baby oil to your skin to make bees go away. They also hate this stuff just like vanilla.
Baby powder
And last on the list is baby powder.
You can apply the powder directly to your skin and bees will stay away.
You can also sprinkle baby powder around your window sills, doors, or anywhere else around your home to act as a repellent.
Bees tend to stay away from baby powder and the best part is that it’s safe for kids and pets!
Don’t wear floral clothing
This is an obvious one- don’t wear any bright color or clothing with flowers.
Wear some less flashy colors and the bees will stay away.
Don’t apply scented products
Bees will be attracted to scented perfume or cologne.
They also sniff out things like aftershave, lotion, sunscreen, deodorant, hair spray, body mist, or any other smelly substance.
Avoid using these scented products to stop the bees from coming to you.
What smells do bees hate?
Bees have a bunch of things they absolutely hate.
We talked about some scents that bees like.
Now let’s talk about what they hate.
Vinegar
Vinegar is one thing bees hate.
You can just take pure vinegar and spray it whenever you want to keep bees away from.
This approach doesn’t last long because it evaporates, so consider pouring a large amount into a cup. Then place the cup wherever you want.
Tea tree oil
They hate the scent of tea tree oil and you can repel them using just a few drops of this stuff around your shirt collar.
Also put a few drops on your legs, wrists, and back. You may smell herbal, but at least you won’t be dealing with bees.
Garlic powder
You can sprinkle garlic powder around the yard surrounding your home.
This works the same as the garlic spray we just spoke about previously.
Try applying the powder directly to flowers to overpower the scent of the flower.
Without the sweet smell, the bees won’t come to your home in the first place.
Salami
Salami is already pretty smelly so bees are taking a hint.
Just place bits of salami around areas where you want to keep them away.
Note that you’ll have to dispose of this meat early because if you leave it out, it’ll attract other pests.
How do I get rid of bees in my siding?
If you have them hiding in your siding, you’ll probably only see the bees entering the nest or exiting it. You should first locate the nest.
After you’re sure where the nest is, apply some insecticide after it turns to night.
Be sure you only apply the poison at night, and wear protective gloves and clothing.
You probably won’t be able to handle this with a home remedy and you should consult a professional or get professional insecticide.
How to keep bees away from the balcony
Bees on your balcony are no match!
Bees on the balcony can be repelled by many different DIY methods. I’d suggest starting off with marigold plants since they grow outdoors and will naturally repel them.
You can also use any of the methods we discussed above:
Essential oils (fennel, hyssop, tea tree, thyme)
Garlic powder
Thyme sock
Peppermint
Salami
Vinegar
Baby powder
How to keep bees away from the pool
Bees see your pool as a huge watering hole.
Bees do need a source of water and a pool offers more than they could ever ask for.
The easiest answer would be to invest in a pool cover. Bees are attracted to pools and tend to drink by the poolside.
This will protect your pool from bees and many other pests. If that’s not an option, then consider using a variety of the methods above.
Set up bee repellent stations. Apply garlic or baby powder. Use essential oils. Plant marigolds. Hang thyme socks. Use vinegar stations (literally mason jars with vinegar).
You can place vinegar jars around your pool’s perimeter. You can also plant marigolds around the pool to form a barrier. Also, consider using fabric softener sheets. There are many different things you could do there.
You have a ton of options to work with so just pick a few and run with them!
How to keep bees away from trees
Bees may swarm all over a tree- especially if they have a beehive there.
Tree bees (sorry, had to) can be managed by using a combination of essential oils and plants.
You can plant some marigolds in pots and place them near the trees.
You can then hang some thyme-infused socks on branches of the tree also. If you need a stronger approach, considering using garlic, baby powder, or commercial approaches.
Vinegar water seems to work pretty well. You can just add some vinegar and water into a spray bottle, then spray it directly all over the tree.
You can also do the same with other things they hate- use essential oils, baby oil, baby powder, marigolds, and more.
You can also hang dryer fabric softeners around your trees to keep them away. For some reason, they hate the smell of these softeners.
There are also organic sprays you can buy from the store. Always use organic when dealing with edibles.
A lot of bees will be attracted to apple trees or other sweet-smelling fruits. Use these techniques to keep them away from your apples.
Always be sure to wash your fruits or veggies before you eat them.
How to keep bees away from the car
Watch out for a queen’s nest under your hood or wheel guards.
Bees on your car can be a pain to deal with.
Who wants to enter their car when a bee is right there?
Sadly, your options can be quite limited. Bees hang around your car because you kill a huge number of bugs when you drive. They’ll eat them directly off your car.
There’s also the possibility that they could be building a nest on your car somewhere, especially if you don’t drive it daily.
Other than parking it in a different location, there’s not much you can do.
Any spray may damage the paint job and devalue the car. If you park the car in the same place every day and it’s not a public area (such as your driveway), you can actually just get a bunch of marigold plants.
You can also try dabbing some peppermint oil around your car’s door seals and windows.
Don’t use it directly on the paint. Try it in a small, unnoticeable area first to see if it damages the car before you go all out.
Then just place them around the car. This may be enough to keep them away from your car.
How to keep bees away from a wooden deck
Decks, patios, porches- they’re all fair game for these buzzers!
Bees on your deck are easy to deal with because you have so many options.
Consider using a combination of essential oil stations. Hang a thyme sock. Set up a bee bait bowl. Use garlic powder or baby powder. Spray essential oils.
You can also hang dryer fabric softener sheets around your deck. Or use a vinegar spray. There are a TON of possibilities.
All of these can handle bees on your deck. Read the previous sections for detailed steps.
How to prevent bees from getting into the home
Here are some tips to keep bees from getting into your home.
Once you have your outdoor bee problem controlled, you should no longer have any bees coming in.
But you can also take more measures to stop any future bees from slipping through the cracks.
The key is to maintain.
You’ll want to carefully take a gander at your home and make sure everything is fixed and in complete working order.
You can protect your home from bees by:
Fixing any damaged window or patio screens
Sealing crevices and cracks around door frames or windows
Repairing damaged vents
Setting up DIY bee repellents around your garden and home
Fixing damaged roof shingles
Repairing damage chimney vents
Repairing damaged wood pillars or sidings
Sealing up foundation cracks
Practicing basic garden maintenance also will help control bee populations:
Keeping plants pruned and trimmed
Don’t overwater or overfertilize
Dispose of leaf litter
Secure trash cans and garbage bins
Cover woodpiles
Manage pools
Keep lawns mowed (which can also help prevent other pests like kudzu bugs)
Did you get rid of your bee problem?
Go forth and protect your home!
You have everything you need to know about keeping bees away from your home.
With patience and persistence, you should now be able to keep them out!
If you have questions, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll get back to you. Or if you found this to be helpful, let me know!
Feel free to tell a friend about this guide also =]!
Currently an active researcher in the pest control industry for the past 8 years- with a focus on using natural and organic methods to eliminate pest problems.
I share handy DIY pest techniques I come across here to help out others (and possibly save them from a mental breakdown).
1 thought on “How to Keep Bees Away From Your House (Ultimate Guide)”
Shari
My neighbor who I share my back fence with decided to raise honey bees. Last year it was caterpillars which were destroying all my plants. They will probably be back this year. I am allergic to bees and I am very afraid having them around. I’ve seen many of them on my side already and can’t imagine how bad it will get when it gets warmer. We already get carpenter bees which I’m not thrilled with but I’ve dealt with them each year. I also get wasps in my screen house every year but have it sprayed a few times in the beginning of the summer and that usually keeps them to a minimum. I come from NY where we didn’t have many bugs and now live in VA where there are so many. I HATE bugs. So many spiders and my son is so afraid of them. The reason I am writing is because we just got a puppy who eats everything he can get his mouth on, including dirt and bugs, so I need a safe solution to keep these bees and wasps, etc. out of our backyard. Right now I made a mixture of whole cloves, ground cloves, cinnamon sticks, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, chili pepper and thyme and put them in stockings and hung them outside. I know it’s a lot, I used everything I read to keep bugs away. I have citronella plants all around, but that I have every year for mosquitoes. I also bought some marigolds to put out but some places say it will help keep the bees away and some say it won’t. I’ll try anything. Can you please advise me how to keep my yard safe for my dog but not for bees, wasps and other pests. Thank you.
My neighbor who I share my back fence with decided to raise honey bees. Last year it was caterpillars which were destroying all my plants. They will probably be back this year. I am allergic to bees and I am very afraid having them around. I’ve seen many of them on my side already and can’t imagine how bad it will get when it gets warmer. We already get carpenter bees which I’m not thrilled with but I’ve dealt with them each year. I also get wasps in my screen house every year but have it sprayed a few times in the beginning of the summer and that usually keeps them to a minimum. I come from NY where we didn’t have many bugs and now live in VA where there are so many. I HATE bugs. So many spiders and my son is so afraid of them. The reason I am writing is because we just got a puppy who eats everything he can get his mouth on, including dirt and bugs, so I need a safe solution to keep these bees and wasps, etc. out of our backyard. Right now I made a mixture of whole cloves, ground cloves, cinnamon sticks, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, chili pepper and thyme and put them in stockings and hung them outside. I know it’s a lot, I used everything I read to keep bugs away. I have citronella plants all around, but that I have every year for mosquitoes. I also bought some marigolds to put out but some places say it will help keep the bees away and some say it won’t. I’ll try anything. Can you please advise me how to keep my yard safe for my dog but not for bees, wasps and other pests. Thank you.