Learn all about sweat bees, their presence in pool, yard, outside the home and all about the methods used to eliminate them.
Sweat bees are named because they are often attracted to the salt in human perspiration. Sweat bees aren’t as aggressive or dangerous as other stinging bees and are relatively simple to get rid of.
With over 1,000 varieties of sweat bees, there are bound to be different characteristics. The good news is that the sweat bee has one of the least painful stings of all bees. Colonies of 12 – 40 bees will be formed by the queen.
Sweat bees are attracted to human sweat this is where their name comes from. But, these bees also serve the purpose of pollinating the world’s crops and flowers. If you see sweat bees, you’re among the very few that realize these small bees are around.
Dealing with a bee infestation can be tricky and even dangerous at times. However, unlike the popular honey bee or often feared killer bee, the bee that is actually the most common on nearly every continent (except Australia) is the sweat bee.
How to get rid of sweat bees?
Following are the ways by which you can get rid of sweat bees;
- Killing on contact means instant elimination of single sweat bees with insecticides.
- Catching is large-scale trapping and killing the bees, and is the most desperate measure for those who are unfortunate enough to share their property with the sweat bees nesting there. It is suitable for the extreme cases where the sweat bees at your place have become too intrusive.
- Repelling is the most humane and lenient towards the useful sweat bees control method.
- Repellents can protect you from the bees circling around or when camping, when you don’t have the time to install proper traps.
How to get rid of sweat bees in Pool
Sweat bees can be removed from pools by the following steps;
- Mix ¼ cup of dish soap and one quart of water.
- Spray bees whenever you see them repeat when necessary.
- This spraying will kill the foragers (bees who go back and tell the colony where your pool is located).
How to get rid of sweat bees in Yard
- Getting rid of sweat bees should be done carefully to prevent accidental stings. Following are the steps by which you can get rid of sweat bees form yard;
- Eliminate any wood piles from your yard in early spring. Sweat bees tend to nest in the soil or in trees in late spring and they will frequently use a wood pile as a nesting site.
- Removing nesting possibilities helps eliminate the problem before it can start in your yard.
- Remove any stumps and Bag your grass clippings when mowing the lawn to further disrupt locations that the bees may nest.
- Reduce the amount of water you are using to water the grass. Drop cyfluthrin granules into your lawn.
- Spray bee killer over the top of the granules.
How to get rid of sweat bees in Outside
The best method is to create an environment that this bee doesn’t like. If the weather isn’t humid, you won’t see many of these bees buzzing around. Since you can’t control the weather, you can do something that will make the life of the bee harder. To control these bees in outdoor recreation area, you can increase the thickness of your turf or cover the area with mulch or gravel. These bees prefer soil that is dry and bare. Other treatments may be available. Outside of the home, the people most often plagued by sweat bees are outdoor laborers, such as gardeners, construction workers, and road workers because of their exposed perspiring skin. These are bugs attracted to sweat.
Because their work sites often vary from day to day and it is unlikely that these workers have to time or ability to stalk around at night looking for nests, the options for true relief here are limited.
However, assuming that you’re working in an area away from aquatic life and that your employer and fellow employees do not object to it, spraying a diluted solution of water and malthion in the area may help. Just keep in mind that while malthion does have a very low toxicity, it is dangerous if ingested or inhaled directly. If you want to attempt this solution, make sure you are spraying the ground or objects around your work site. Do not apply it topically to the skin or in a way that promotes inhalation of the chemical.
How to get rid of sweat bees in Home
Sweat bees can be eliminated from home by using following steps;
- Just leave them alone unless safety is a concern.
- Contact a pest control company for assistance.
- Find a beekeeper that will physically remove the comb and bees after the wall is removed exposing the nest.
- Eradicate them yourself.
