Jumping into your swimming pool is the best thing you can do on a warm sunny day. However, getting stung by a bee and having wasps near your swimming pool may ruin your experience. These unwanted bees are easy to find near your yard and swimming pool, and getting rid of them might be tricky when you don’t know the correct methods. However, it would be best to get rid of the bees because their stings are lethal, especially for kids and those who are allergic to them.

What do bees use water for?

Humans usually use pools in the summer to chill and relax in cold water, and it’s a similar case with bees. Bees are seen near the water when they want to cool off on warm summer days. Foraging bees and wasps also take the water back to their hive, and it helps them keep the hive cool during scorching temperatures. The same water is also used by the worker bees, which means that when the water is about to end, the bees fly out to collect more water, and ultimately, they revisit your pool. These bees get more active during summer, but they collect water for the entire year. Hence, taking certain actions becomes important to get rid of bees and wasps near a pool, and the next section will guide you with the same. Let’s take a look.

How to keep bees away from your pool and backyard

While bees are a valuable part of our ecosystem, having them around your pool and backyard may become annoying, and it may invite several risks. To keep the bees away from your pool and backyard, you can follow these tips:

1. Avoid flowery fragrances

   Many people might be aware that bees are attracted to flowers, and flower contains nectar, which is usually sweet. This also means that bees are attracted to sugary and floral perfumes, and if you wear them, you are more likely to find bees around you. Along with this, you should also ensure that you aren’t wearing any scented hairsprays or sunscreens.

2. Drain Your Pool or Invest in A Pool Cover

   Did you know that doing something as simple as draining your pool can help you to get rid of the bees? Once you’ve temporarily drained your pool, the bees that’ll arrive at your place will find no water, and eventually, they’ll switch to a new different source. On the other hand, if draining your pool doesn’t sound right to you, you can start investing in a pool cover. Now pool covers are expensive, and their price would usually depend on the size of your pool. However, they are still a worthy investment because they help you keep your pool clean and keep the mosquitoes and bees away.

3. Deterring scents

   While scents with flowery fragrances usually invite bees, there are some deterring scents that bees absolutely want to avoid. These fragrances include peppermint, spearmint, and thyme. They also avoid several oils like lavender oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, and citronella oil. Fragrances like peppermint and others can be mixed with oil and sprayed on the objects surrounding your pool. You can also look for skin products containing the above oils listed above so you can keep the bees away.

4. Keep food and drink covered

   People often carry food while visiting their pool, which is one of the reasons why bees are attracted to the place. Beverages, especially the sticky carbonated beverage cans can play a huge role in inviting these unwanted guests near your pool. It is recommended that whenever you take beverages, put them in a glass that comes with a lid and keep your other food items covered by putting them in a container.

5. Avoid bright colors

   As suggested in the title, you should avoid wearing bright colors when you are going near the pool. Even though bees do not feed on the human body, they can get confused and sometimes attracted when you are wearing shiny bright, and colorful outfits.

6. Wear a hat

   Hair and fur are some of the traits of honey hunters, and hence bees have a higher sense of awareness around it. Therefore it is recommended that you wear a hat around the pool to fit in without any issues.

7. Alter landscaping

   Alter landscaping doesn’t mean that you have to give your home a complete makeover by removing all the flowers around the house. It means that you have to add some plants and flowers that repel bees. Adding mint and lemongrass plants can be a great option to keep the bees away.

8. Remove the nest

   If your home has areas where you find nests, then removing them might help you to solve all your problems. It is not an easy process to remove a wasp nest or bee nest, and it’ll require some professional help. You should call a local professional in your city or town, and they might charge you a small fee, but they’ll make sure that the nest gets completely removed.

9. Put Up a Decoy Wasp Nest

   Decoy wasp nest stands for a fake nest that is available in the market, which tricks wasps and bees into thinking there is already a colony established in the area due to which they do not make any home. It looks exactly like the real thing, and you can set it up near your pool to keep the bees away.

10. Call a Professional Beekeeper

    As mentioned earlier, calling a professional beekeeper can help you to get rid of the bees in your home since they can remove the beehive and help the bees to relocate somewhere else.

11. Turning on pool jets

    Activating your pool jets and the maximum speeds can help you to keep the bees away because bees are scared of drowning in the source from where they fetch water. The high pressure of your pool jets can keep them away for the same reason.

12. Add mothballs to a decorative cloth bag or pantyhose and hang it by the pool.

    As the title suggests, bees absolutely hate the smell of mothballs, so you can hang them near the pool or backyard and keep the bees away without any problems.

13. Alternate water supply

    While these methods might be helpful to get the bees away from your pool, rerouting them to another water source becomes important. You can send them near your fountain or any other water source where they don’t disturb you. Killing bees isn’t recommended because they only attack you when provoked, and they are an important part of our ecosystem.

Bees and wasps are an important part of our society, and hence it isn’t recommended to call a bee exterminator and kill them. You can use these methods to get rid of them, or you can contact us if you are looking for some professional help.