Bees are amazing creatures. They play a vital role in the pollination of flowering plants. They also produce honey, a favorite delicacy added to food or eaten as is.
Even though these insects are essential in producing food for humans, they can be pests - and painful pests at that. When bees build their nests near your home, garden, porch, or balcony, they may think you are the one crossing the line and may eventually sting you. Even though a bee can only sting once (because they die after they sting), it really hurts a lot.
Bee stings can cause severe temporary swelling, pain, and discomfort. If you notice bees buzzing around your home, chances are, you have a beehive nearby.
Dealing with Bee Stings
You go out one sunny day in your garden and suddenly feel a sharp burning pain on some part of your body. You realize it was a bee that stung you because you notice the insect or part of the insect still attached to your skin.
A bee sting is essentially a suicide attempt for them because their stinger gets ripped off after they sting. The stinger is then left embedded in the skin. If you realize you have been stung by a bee, remove the stinger as soon as possible. Rub your skin sideways to prevent the stinger from getting deeper in your skin. The longer the stinger stays in your skin, the more bee venom is injected into you, causing you more pain and discomfort.
Use your fingernails or tweezers to remove the stinger. Make sure you don't leave any part behind. Immediately apply a cold compress on the surface of the area that has been stung to prevent swelling.
Pain and discomfort usually last for about 30 minutes, so taking painkillers will help ease the pain and itch. Never scratch the affected area because it will only increase the itching and swelling. Sometimes, the discomfort experienced from a bee sting may last for several days or as long as a couple of weeks, depending on the type of bee that stung or the amount of venom injected. If the pain and swelling persists for a long time, it is recommended to seek medical help. The same thing applies if you are allergic to bee stings. If you feel feverish, have difficulty breathing, or experience palpitations, visit your doctor immediately.
Getting Rid of Bees
Before you can get rid of bees in your home, you have to find their nest or beehive first. You may be swatting a few, but the nest may contain hundreds to thousands of bees. Beehives are often located under eves or porches, in cracks and crevices, and in garage corners.
It is often hard to locate a beehive in your home. Since bees are day dwelling creatures, the best time to spot them is early in the morning when they head out of their hive, or late dusk when the bees return to their home.
You will usually see a swarm of insects buzzing loudly because of their huge number. Trace where they come from, but don't do anything yet. Stay at a safe distance if you don't want to risk getting stung.
Now that you have located a nest, it is time to get rid of the bees. Before anything else, check if you have a local beekeeper in your area. Most of the time, you can get rid of the beehive in your home for free when you contact a beekeeper. A beekeeper will gladly move the hive out of your home without any cost. This way, you don't have to spend money and kill these bees. (Tips on how to get rid of beehive)
If there aren't any beekeepers in your area, then you have no other option but to kill them. The most effective and cheapest way to get rid of bees is through the use of bug sprays or insecticides. A can of bug spray does not cost much, and you likely have a can of it lying around in your home already.
You must spray the chemical directly at the beehive so that the spray will have direct contact with the insects, making it more effective. The best time to spray the hive is at night, when all the bees are there. You can also spray during the day when most of them are out looking for nectar. Make sure you are wearing thick clothing to protect you from bee stings. Sweaters or long-sleeved thick shirts will do fine. Wear thick denim pants to protect your legs.
Make sure to kill the bees in their nest by spraying insecticide again the next day. After a couple of days, if you don't see any bees going in and out of the hive, then you have successfully rid your home of bees. If you think this task is too risky, you can always call an exterminator.
Keeping Bees from Coming Back
To make sure the bees won't come back and reclaim the nest, you must remove or destroy their home completely. If the bees happen to build the nest in some crack in your home, it's best to seal it off with cement or a roof sealant so they wouldn't try to build another nest after some time.
Look around your home for spots that may be potential places where bees would build their hive. Make sure they would not have access to it. Isolated corners outside your home or spots you rarely go are the usual places where bees could build their new home.
The essential role of bees in nature is very important, but when they claim a spot around your home and become defensive about it, they turn into unwanted guests - or pests that must be exterminated immediately before you or someone else in your home gets stung. If you enjoyed reading this article, you'll surely enjoy reading how to get rid of carpenter bees.