The sun’s out, which also means that this glorious weather outside is screaming for an outdoor party. Whether it is a backyard family lunch, summer bbq, or even a garden party, there will be party crashers – bees. These unexpected guests can create an unpleasant experience for your friends and family.
The outdoor party mostly means setting the food table outside for everyone to enjoy. It sounds perfect until our bee friends arrive. Let’s take a look at how we can keep bees away from ruining your outdoor party ambiance. But first, let’s get to the root cause of the beelines.
What Attracts Bees?
If you have been attending regular outdoor parties, you may think, “why are bees attracted to me?” Let’s first establish that bees are not attracted to the smell of humans, unlike mosquitoes. So you can strike out the option of your charms. Bees are attracted to certain smells, colors, and environments.
We know that bees are pollinators – and their job is to fly around looking for flowers to pollinate. They are often misled by our surroundings, which is why they end up near our soda cans. Our first instinct is to shoo them away to keep them away from our food and drinks. Before you know it, you see them buzzing harder around you – now, this is only a reaction to their anger and fear.
Let’s keep reading to find out the two prime causes of why these insects can’t get enough of us.
Smell – Bees are attracted to flowers – flowery smells, to be more precise. This is because they feed on the nectar from flowers. So, if you are wearing anything that smells flowery, you are unknowingly attracting bees around you. It is common for them to mistake you for a flower. Another reason for bees to get confused is the sweetness factor in nectars. Any food item that tastes sugary or smells sugary will therefore attract bees.
Colors – There is a popular belief that colors fascinate bees and wasps. Again, it is the resemblance of flowers and textures that make them the party crashers. The colors on food, table decor, and your clothes invite them to join the party.
Keeping the Bees Away
Now the good news is that there are ways for you to host your outdoor parties and enjoy it too (without attracting bugs of any kind) only if you take precautions. This article will look at how you can be more hospitable towards your guests by taking a few steps to keep bees away from patio, backyard, garden, or any other outdoor spot you have chosen for the party.
Prep Your Backyard
“A winning effort begins by preparation.” – In other words, take every precaution to prep your backyard before guests arrive. It’s best to do it a few days earlier, as cleaning out and searching for beehives can take longer than expected. So don’t leave it for the day of the party. Look for pest-prone zones. Try to spare areas under sheds or near trash cans to set the table and food. You can also seek pest control services to let the experts take over.
Know What to Eat and Where to Store Food
Let’s warn you about the food items that attract bees. For some reason, barbecue, fried chicken, and fish items fascinate them. So, if you want to have any of these items, please make sure you keep them indoors and only serve them before eating.
Try to keep the doors closed during the party, as the bees have a strong sense of smell. You’d want to keep them away from entering the house as well. You can perhaps keep a sign for your guests to keep the door shut for when they go in and out of the house. We suggest food items like sandwiches (wrapped), cheese, crackers, salads, and pasta for an outdoor party.
Prepare Your Eating Area
The eating area is the attraction spot for these flying insects. So remember to prepare the area you choose to display food. You can use some of the following tips that work like magic to have a bee-free outdoor party.
Marigolds
This is a two-in-one solution. You can have a vase or pot full of marigolds as the centerpiece of the table. They work as natural bee repellents or any other insects. The scent of marigolds is known to keep them away. If you have multiple tables to display your spread, you can always create little corners of marigold to control pests for the entire area.
Cloves
Another great way to keep bees away is having four to five pieces of cloves on the food tables. For some reason, they find it very unpleasant.
Mint Leaves
Mint leaves help to cancel out the smell of sweetness of sugary items or other items that attract them. You can even prepare drinks or salads with mint leaves for your guests to keep the bees away.
Make a Mixture
Another piece of gold. To make this mixture you will need to cut a banana peel into thin strips. Put the strips into a 2-liter empty bottle. Add a cup of sugar and vinegar (a cup of each) and give it a nice shake. Add water to the mixture, fill it up to 2 inches below the neck of the bottle. Now, tie the bottle with a sturdy piece of string to hold it. Hang it on a tree branch. It will be more effective if you make a few and hang them above food tables/seating areas.
Mothballs
Mothballs are also an effective and natural way of keeping bees away. You’ll need pantyhose (pick old ones, since you won’t be able to reuse them). You have to cut the feet off and stuff them with mothballs. Similar to the bottled mixture, hang them from tree branches, mostly near food tables. The smell is quite pungent and helps to keep most insects, including bees, away.
Lastly
Keeping all the food items sealed or wrapped can make all the difference. Try and serve food just before your guests are ready to eat. This way, you can serve them fresh and hot food without attracting bugs and bees if you take some of these precautions to prepare your outdoors for your guests to have a pleasant time at your party.
Not only for bees, but you should also steer clear from surprising your guests with any other occasional invaders. One last tip before you go away, conceal your garbage area and trash cans. Bees love to swarm around waste bins. We hope you are now all set to stop these pesky bees from intruding and ruining your summer soiree.
Synergy² Pest Control Jackson MS
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