The best way to prevent bees from establishing a colony on your property is to not provide them with an ideal environment for survival. Domestic Bees require three things in order to survive – food, water and shelter.
Remember, African Honey Bees also nest in a wide variety of locations and may enter openings as small as 3/16-inch in diameter (about the size of a pencil eraser) as long as there is a suitable-sized cavity behind the opening for a nest.
Eliminate shelter. to prevent Domestic Bees from settling in your house or yard, you will need to be vigilant in preventing potential nesting sites.
• Be certain to caulk cracks in walls, in the foundation and in the roof.
• Be sure to fill or cover all holes 1/8-inch in diameter or bigger in trees, structures and/or block walls.
• Be sure to check where the chimney meets the house for separation, and make certain chimneys are covered properly.
• Make certain to put small-mesh screen (like window screen) over attic vents, irrigation valve boxes and water meter box key holes.
• Make absolutely certain to remove any trash or debris that might serve as a shelter for Domestic Bees.
• Be sure to fill or cover animal burrows in the ground.
• Be sure window and sun screens are tight fitting.
• Make certain to keep shed doors tightly closed and in good repair and exercise caution when entering buildings that are not used frequently.
1. Make|Be} certain to inspect your home and yard regularly for signs of bee colonies. A single bee or just a few bees in your yard doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve an established colony on your property because bees will fly some distance in search of food and water. Although Domestic Honey Bees use nectar and pollen from flowers as food, removing flowers as a source of food is generally not an effective bee deterrent.
Look for large numbers of bees passing into and out of or hovering in front of an opening. Listen for the hum of active insects. Look low for colonies in or at ground level, and also high for colonies under eaves or in attics.
2. When you find a colony on your property, consult a bee specialist. When you do find an established honey bee colony in your neighborhood, do not panic. Contrarily, do not ignore them either. Small colonies that have recently swarmed might be docile at first, but tend to become more defensive with age. Have colonies located around the house removed as soon as possible.
Keep everybody away from the honey bee colony. Look in the Yellow Pages under “bee removal” or “pest control” for the names of beekeepers or pest control operators in your area who are licensed to remove the honey bee colony. Don’t try to remove colonies yourself!
