There is nothing worse than going out into your backyard to enjoy some good weather and play on the finding your playset buzzing with bees. Most of the time bees will not bother you, but some are aggressive, especially if you’re near their nest.
How do you keep bees away from playset? The occasional bee finding his way into your backyard in unavoidable, but there are some preventative measures you can take to keep bees from frequenting your playset. Sealing the wood of your playset and keeping the play area clean will go a long way to keeping your playset bee free.
There are a number of effective preventative measures you can take to keep bees away from your playset and to discourage them from building nests in it. Continue reading to find out some simple steps you can take.
Related: How to Keep Wasps Away from Playsets?
What Attracts Bees to the Playset?
As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention if worth a pound of cure. If there is nothing about the playset to attract bees to it, they will most likely leave it alone.
On the other hand, if you already have bees visiting your playset often, these preventative measures might be enough to send them on their way.
Nesting Spots
It might seem obvious but if there are bees flying around the playset, there may be a nest hiding somewhere in or near the playset. Bees and wasps can make a nest in tight quarters. Thoroughly inspect every inch of the playset for signs of nesting.
Metal or plastic tubes, bars with open ends, cracks in the wood, spaces between panels of wood all make great places for bees to build a nest.
Don’t offer them any tempting locations to build a nest. Block off as many nest making places as possible. Seal up any crevices and be sure to put caps on the ends of any pipes or tubes. Inspect the playset regularly for signs of bee nests.
Flowers
If you have large flower beds in your backyard, you will most certainly attract bees. If you’re an avid gardener, you want those bees to help pollinate your garden beds.
It is best not to plant flowers or flowering bushes near your playset.
Also, keep your grass trimmed short to prevent flowers from sprouting up.
Food
All bees are attracted to sweet things like a discarded ice-pop stick or a juice spill, but wasps are a different store. Wasps hunt for protein, usually by eating other bugs, but they won’t mind snagging a bite of your ham sandwich either.
To keep bees away, be sure your garbage cans have lids on them and there is no place outside where food regularly gets left behind in the form of crumbs or spills.
Water
Bees need water, and they will often build their nests in close proximity to water sources. This could be a stream, a pond, a birdbath, or a puddle left by a leaky hose.
Move any sources of water that might be attracting bees, if it is possible. Alternatively, you can move the playset away from a water source.
The Wood
Although cedar is naturally resistant to most insects, this isn’t exactly the case for carpenter bees. To keep carpenter bees from building nests in your playset, you should add a sealant to it every year. A sealant will extend the life of your playset anyway, so it is a win-win!
Identify the Bee
If you already have bees lurking around your playset, you should try to identify what kind of bee you are dealing with before taking action. Identifying the bee will let you know if the bees are capable of stinging, if they are aggressive, or if they can cause property damage.
Wasps and Hornets
Wasps have pinched in narrow waists and are generally thinner than bees. They are also not as fuzzy as bees. Wasps do not exclusively feed on nectar and are happy to feast upon human food left out. Wasp nests are typically papery.
Wasps and hornets tend to be aggressive. They are all capable of stinging. Generally, they do not cause property damage.
Bees
Bees tend to be far fuzzier than wasps and do not have a super pinched waist. Most bees’ nests are waxy while some bees nest underground or in wood. They are only interested in sweet foods left behind.
Bees tend to be less aggressive than wasps and hornets, but any bee will become aggressive if their nest is threatened, and as much as we might not like it, we can understand it. Most are capable of stinging.
Carpenter Bee
Carpenter bees are large with a shiny black abdomen. They are often confused with bumblebees, but bumblebees are slightly smaller and do not have a shiny abdomen. The easiest way to identify carpenter bees is by the perfectly round holes that they drill into wood.
Carpenter bees do not have a stinger, but they will fly at your face if you threaten their nest. They cause damage to property by drilling holes into wood and building their nests inside.
A large infestation of aggressive bees may require that you hire a professional, but you may be comforted getting rid of the more docile and stingless carpenter bees yourself.
DIY Bee Solutions
Shiny Objects
First, fill a sandwich bag or a freezer bag about halfway with water. Drop in a couple of shiny pennies. Place the bag where you commonly see wasps or bees.
While not scientifically backed in any way, people swear by this solution. This likely won’t help if bees have already built nests, but if you just want to prevent them from flying around your playhouse, this might work for you.
Homemade Wasp Trap
A homemade wasp trap will catch a few wasps or bees flying by, but if there are more appetizing options, they may not be attracted to it.
Try this homemade wasp trap using a soda bottle, some jam, and water. It may not be pretty, but in a pinch it can be effective.
Homemade All-Natural Bee Repellant
If you make a bee repellant yourself, you know exactly what is in that bottle, and you can be certain it will not harm your children or pets. Spray the play area and playset with the repellant to keep away bees and other insects. This will require regular reapplication.
Try this homemade all-natural bee repellant on the playset.
Products
- Fake hornet or wasps’ nests. Wasps and hornets are territorial and generally will not go near a nest that is not their own. You would need to hang the nest someplace where they would see it.
- Herbal insect repellant. Like the homemade bee repellant, these repellants are safe to use around children and usually pets as well. They have the benefit of helping to keep other insects away while not actually killing any.
- Hornet or yellow jacket traps. These will trap and kill some of the more aggressive kinds of bees. They must be emptied, and bait must be repurchased for them.
- Insecticide. Insecticide contains harmful chemicals and should be used as a last resort. Insecticides don’t discriminate. They will kill all bugs, and many are not suitable for use around children or pets.
Saving Pollinators
Bees are an important part of our ecosystem. If you want to avoid killing them but have some nests that need tending to, there are many places that specialize in “bee rescue.” These places will remove the nest and relocate it to a property where it will not cause any problems for humans. They are sometimes even cheaper than an exterminator.