Ground Bees are solitary & docile without causing much trouble. Their underground lives don’t damage the soil but helping with flower pollination.
But an infestation of a bee colony in your lawn can be problematic & a nuisance. Ground bees don't sting anyone except under immense provocation.
Anyone with a bee allergy or fear of getting stung should think otherwise. And you’re set to know about several easy ways to get rid of ground bees.
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Where Do Ground Bees Come from?
Ground nesting bees prefer to build difficult-to-find nests underground. It mostly nests in the sandy regions to have well-drained soil with/without limited vegetation.
That’s why good soil condition in the backyard keeps attracting the bees. Patchy lawns, gardens with bare ground, open yards have to suffer the infestation every season.
Tips on Neutralizing Ground Bees
There are several tips to keep in mind for dealing with ground bees. Everyone should properly heed the safety measures. And following expert tips will guide everyone on how to do the work best.
Safety Measures to Keep in Mind
- Always wear an intact bee protection suit.
- The worn suit mustn’t cause any discomfort.
- The suit should be smooth and light-colored.
- Clothing should not have any attractive smell.
- A bee protection helmet is necessary as well.
- Wear plastic-coated gloves to secure the hands.
- Start with the simplest neutralization methods.
- Try an initial dose to get vegetation’s response.
- Never overtreat the soil on heavy infestations.
The following methods have been seen as most successful & easy for getting rid of Ground Bees.
1. Wetting the Soil Regularly
Ground bees essentially require a dry sandy soil region for living. Therefore, making the soil wet will help getting rid of the bees.
You must check for setting a sprinkler system for larger open spaces. However, using homemade sprays can save you the wallet.
2. Changing Soil Conditions
Big dry sandy regions with little vegetation attract the ground bees. Changing the condition of your yard should reduce the extent of the infestation.
Growing or planting trees on bare soil will reduce open breeding spaces. Also, you should think of placing gravels & stones to cover the bare soils.
Not to mention, applying mulch over soil regions can suffice the trick. The actions will help to distract the bees from nesting around your home.
3. Planting Strong-scented Plants in the Yard
Plants like cucumber, eucalyptus, peppermint have strong odors working as natural deterrents. And you need to consider the plants to drive the ground bees away.
Plant these plants in the soil region for effective evacuation of the bees and other insects. Also, you may spray the affected spots after mixing the leaves with water.
4. Installing Bug Zappers for Exterminating Bees
The electric machine to use LED lights can attract insects like ground bees. And the device features an attached electric grid on outside. It comes with the power of killing any contacting bees almost instantly.
You can consider Bug Zapper can be Flowtron BK-15D Insect Killer for an example. Setting the machine near the bee nests should work much better. It’s excellent for total extermination in an extended-term.
5. Watering the Nests
You should try watering the nests before anything else to understand the infestation. Nighttime application should suffocate a considerable number of bees.
Of course, you must cover the nest holes with some clothes or fabrics to block escapes. Continue pouring water all over the nest holes to address the pests.
6. Using Insecticide to Kill the Bees or Just Repel Bees
Popular insecticides like "Bonide 363 Spider & Ground Bee Killer" works rather well on bees. It is best to apply the intended insecticide at night to prevent infestations.
The foam to cover the nests should suffocate the bees to initiate instant killing. You can choose repellents to skip the hassle of cleaning dead bees from places.
7. Using Vinegar to Stop Bee Infestation
All you need is vinegar with water to prep an effective repellent. Mix equal parts of vinegar with clean water in a spray can. Likewise, shake the can before spraying it all over the nests.
Also, you’re free to experiment with modified spray combinations to replace vinegar. Using essential oils like mint/canella oil or garlic/ginger peel should deliver some effective insecticides.
8. Blocking Entrance to the Nests
Blocking the access is indeed a great startup step to neutralize the infestation. The bees can’t fly through the living nests from any angle.
Consider putting concrete, bricks, or stones to block the entrances. Therefore, you can easily reduce the ground bees in a shorter period.
9. Using Citronella Candle to Drive Bees Away
This is another astounding method of driving the intruders away. Candle scent features considerable insect-repelling characteristics. You should place a few candles around the nests at night.
It should start driving the bees away from the nests. But the method won’t kill them in any way. Spray to combine citronella essential oil with soap into water or vinegar can initiate the killing.
10. Using Mothballs to Deter Bees
Mothballs are also popularly used to deter insects away. However, the mothballs are somewhat toxic to cause physical issues. So, careful handling of the elements is a must.
Hang several Mothballs wrapped in soft/thin clothes around bee nests or infested places. Its strong scent should work pretty well to neutralize the ongoing infestation.
11. Creating Traps to Catch Bees
No need to fall for commercial bee traps when you can make one.
What you actually need is a sweet solution like artificial nectar. Setting a big trap in a container with a narrow entering hole should do the trick.
Cut a bit from the top to flip the covering lid. Now fill the bottom of the bottle with the sweet solution. Hang the bottle to a far-away place for action.
However, it’ll only entrap the bees instead of killing them. You can provide a couple of inches of the solution to drown them. That’ll end the struggles.
12. Using Powerful Cinnamon powder for Preventing Bee Infestation
Cinnamon is a versatile spice to feature an effective bee-repellent scent. People generally tend to sprinkle the cinnamon powder around infesting nests.
This is enough to drive bees & other insects away to smaller scales. But making a spray with 2-3 tbs of cinnamon oil with soap including water may work better.
13. Covering Nests with Effective Diatomaceous Earth
The intended earth is somewhat special from different contexts. Its required soft powder actually comes from crushed fossilized remains. And the powder is sharp enough to damage the wings of insects.
Start covering the bee nests with the earth to check the primary outcome. Many bees should die gradually, not exactly right away. Increase the applying dose to deal with rain or frequent visits.
14. Using Mint Mixture for Killing Bees
It is incredibly easy to consider, make & utilize the spray solution. Just add 2 cups of peppermint castile soap into sufficient water.
Likewise, mix the components well inside the spray bottle on every use. Start with a diluted solution to observe the initial effects.
14. Using Gasoline Soaked Rags to Suffocate Bees
Make little ball-shaped rags at first for each nest. Soak the rags with gasoline & stuff those directly into the nest holes. This should immediately block the access point.
Gasoline vapor is heavier than natural air. And its vapor can suffocate the bees.
It is recommended to wear protective suits while handling gasoline. Execute or implement the plan during the evening or nighttime for safety.
15. Using a Vacuum for Killing Bees
Fill up a vacuum bucket with an effective insecticidal solution. One effective recipe for the solution should be vinegar with essential oils into a watery base.
Now take the vacuum close to the bee nests. Extend the hose up to the nest hole. Simply run the machine for about half-hour to suck the bees to kill.
16. Using Bleach to Kill Bees
Bleach to possess well-defined alkaline properties is capable of killing bees. Make a spray mixing 1 part of bleach with 4 parts of clean, tap water.
An increasing amount of bleach concentration will improve the potency. Always use gloves while handling bleach to avoid its corroding action.
Future Prevention for Ground Bees
Ground bees look for suitable locations for living like dry sandy regions with little vegetation. You need to change, alter or modify the soil conditions to save future attacks.
Expert Tips to Control Infestation
- Smoke disrupts the defensive attitude of the bees temporarily.
- Perform the extermination of bees at night for preventing attacks.
- Chemicals and pesticides are not recommended for use.
- But for pesticides, homemade Vinegar solution spray works best.
Final Words
Ground Bees are docile to help out with pollination to some extent. However, driving the bees away from the garden seems more beneficial for good yields. The above-mentioned methods are successful, effective, simplistic ways to prevent current as well as future infestation.
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