How To Keep Bees Away From Your Yard With Quick And Easy Solutions

Bees are a beneficial part of the ecosystem. They produce honey, which is not only tasty, but is also used for medicinal purposes. These flying insects are also essential pollinators for many food crops, helping farmers yield better results. The bee population is dwindling, which negatively impacts the world's food supply. Some even say without bees there would be no coffee — the most horrifying result of all. 

While you may not want to contribute to the bee population's decline, that doesn't mean you want them in your yard. When bees congregate around your porch, swing set, pool, or other hang-out spots, it can be a nuisance — and a little scary, especially if you have children or pets. Bee stings are painful, and can be lethal to those with allergies. Some species, such as the Africanized honey bee (found in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma) are aggressive and will even chase a person or animal who disturbs them. 

Fortunately, you can keep bees away from your yard without resorting to pesticide. Certain plants are known to attract bees and others are known to deter them. The reason bees are attracted to or repelled by specific plants is all down to smell. Bees love sweet smells such as wisteria, lilac, and honeysuckle, and don't seem to prefer strong smells like garlic, thyme, or peppermint. Whether you grow, sprinkle, or spray strong smells in your yard, bees will be less likely to visit.

Plants that can repel bees are mostly strong-smelling herbs, including basil (Ocimum basilicum), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and all types of mint (Lamiaceae spp.). Growing pungent fruits and vegetables like garlic and lemon may also act as a deterrent. There are even brightly colored flowers that might deter bees, such as marigolds (Tagetes spp.) and geraniums (Pelargonium spp.), which have a smell they find offensive. As a bonus, these plants could also deter wasps — the bee's more annoying and less beneficial cousin.

If you don't have the time or patience to grow a garden of bee repellents, you can also repel bees more immediately with items from your pantry. Strong spices like cayenne pepper, cloves, and cinnamon can be sprinkled as a possible barrier around areas you wish to keep bee-free. Of course, this method is costly and only makes sense if you are actively hanging out in the space with bees nearby. Otherwise, you can make a spray with the spices, or better yet, use the coordinating essential oil, which will pack a more pungent punch. This essential oil set from Pure Aroma is under $10 and includes many of the bee's least favorite smells. 

Vinegar is another kitchen staple that bees may hate. You can easily make a homemade vinegar insect spray using Happy Belly white vinegar and water. Many unwanted critters seem to hate the smell of vinegar, and spraying it could not only keep bees away, but potentially ants, spiders, mosquitoes, roaches, mice, and rabbits as well.