Finding a bee buzzing around inside your home can be alarming, but there’s no need to panic. Bees are generally docile creatures that only sting when provoked. With some simple, gentle techniques, you can get a bee to leave your house without harming it.
Open Doors and Windows
The easiest way to encourage a bee to exit your home is to provide it with an unobstructed path outdoors. Open any doors or windows in the room where you’ve spotted the bee. Be sure to open curtains or blinds so the bee can see the daylight outside. The bee will likely gravitate towards the natural light.
If you have screens on your windows, be sure to open those as well. You can even remove the screens temporarily if needed, just be sure to keep them nearby so they don’t get misplaced.
Turn Off Indoor Lights
Bees are drawn to light, so switching off lights inside can make the daylight streaming in through open doors and windows more enticing. You can even try turning on an outdoor light like a porch light to lure the bee outside. Just be sure to close the door or window firmly once the bee exits so it doesn’t find its way back in.
Use a Bee Vacuum
Special bee vacuums provide a chemical-free way to safely suction bees and release them outdoors. These vacuums have a removable chamber that lets you detach the bee after capture and set it free. Look for lightweight models that won’t harm the bee during suction.
Operate the vacuum carefully, keeping the suction tip about 6 inches away from the bee. Once captured, switch off the vacuum and detach the chamber. Place it on the ground about 10 feet from your home and release the bee.
Guide It Out With a Cardboard Sign
If the bee lingers on a wall or window, you can gently nudge it towards an open door or window using a thin piece of cardboard or a handy “Bee Gone!” sign. Slowly approach the bee and place the cardboard about 6 inches away. Carefully slide the cardboard towards the bee until it flies off in the direction you want. Keep maneuvering it this way, little by little, until it exits your home.
Use a Soft Bristle Brush
For a stubborn bee that won’t budge, a very soft brush with natural bristles can help guide it where you want it to go. Get as close as you can without touching the bee and gently brush next to it to encourage it to move towards the open door or window. Avoid making sudden, harsh movements that may provoke the bee.
Create a DIY Bee Vacuum With a Plastic Bottle
If you don’t have a store-bought bee vacuum handy, you can make your own simple version using an empty plastic bottle. Cut the top off the bottle, leaving a 3-4 inch spout. Attach a piece of wire mesh over the cut opening using a rubber band. This will let air flow through while trapping the bee inside.
Turn the bottle spout towards the bee and approach slowly until you can place the opening over the bee and trap it inside. Quickly cover the spout with your hand. Then take the bottle outside, remove your hand, and release the bee.
Avoid Swatting at Bees
It can be tempting to wave your hands or swat at a bee zipping around you, but this will only aggravate it. Bees release a pheromone when threatened that signals other bees to attack, which you want to avoid. Remain calm and avoid sudden movements.
Call a Professional Beekeeper
If you have a large-scale bee infestation in your home or a hive located inside your walls, ceilings or attic, it’s best to have the bees safely removed by a professional beekeeper. They have the proper tools and techniques to relocate the hive without exterminating the bees. This ensures the vital pollinators survive.
Stay Calm
Most importantly, try to remain relaxed and avoid panicking. Take slow, deep breaths. The bee likely ended up inside by accident and wants just as eagerly to get back outside. With some patience and gentle coaxing, you can get the bee to buzz on out of your house and back to nature where it belongs.
Reader Success Stories
- Irene Frau “Learned something new from your article. I had no idea it would be so simple to catch bees in my house. Thanks for the help!”. ” more .
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- {“smallUrl”:”https://www. wikihow. com/s/thumb/8/8a/Get-a-Bee-out-of-the-House-Step-7. jpg/v4-460px-Get-a-Bee-out-of-the-House-Step-7. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”/s/thumb/8/8a/Get-a-Bee-out-of-the-House-Step-7. jpg/aid766672-v4-728px-Get-a-Bee-out-of-the-House-Step-7. 1. Let fresh air into your home by opening the windows. If your windows have storm window screens on them, you should also open them. If you have to take the screens off, put them close to the window so they don’t get lost or mixed up with screens from another window later. Raise the curtains or blinds so the bee can exit. There is a light outside the window that you can turn on after the sun goes down. This will also turn off the lights in the room where the bee is. Close the window behind the bee when it goes outside to hover by the light.
- {“smallUrl”:”https://www. wikihow. com/s/thumb/8/8d/Get-a-Bee-out-of-the-House-Step-8. jpg/v4-460px-Get-a-Bee-out-of-the-House-Step-8. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”/s/thumb/8/8d/Get-a-Bee-out-of-the-House-Step-8. jpg/aid766672-v4-728px-Get-a-Bee-out-of-the-House-Step-8. 2. Open the front door of your house. Your door will close automatically if you have an extra screen door with a spring-loaded latch. To keep your door open, use the small locking latch next to the hinge of the spring mechanism. You can leave your security door closed if it doesn’t have a screen on it. Also, open the screen if it has one. You should take down any curtains that cover your sliding glass doors so the bee can see what’s outside. As soon as you see it hit the door, slowly open it to let the bee out.
- {“smallUrl”:”https://www. wikihow. com/s/thumb/9/97/Get-a-Bee-out-of-the-House-Step-9. jpg/v4-460px-Get-a-Bee-out-of-the-House-Step-9. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”/s/thumb/9/97/Get-a-Bee-out-of-the-House-Step-9. jpg/aid766672-v4-728px-Get-a-Bee-out-of-the-House-Step-9. 3. Wait a few minutes for the bee to leave. If the doors and windows are open, the bee will look for a way to get back to its hive and check out the flowers nearby. Watch your doors and windows to make sure birds and other animals don’t come in while you wait for the bee to leave. When the bee goes away, shut your doors and windows.
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How to Get a Bee out of the House
FAQ
How do you get a single bee out of your house?
How long will a bee survive indoors?
How do you get bees to leave?
How do I get rid of bees in my house?
Follow these steps: Collect approximately 300 worker bees (1/3 cup) from brood frames into a sample jar that contains (up to half of the jar) winter windshield washing fluid, or 70% alcohol. 300 dead bees will fill about 1 inch (25 mm) in the bottom of the jar.
Should bees be removed from a house?
But sometimes colonies of bees can make themselves comfortable a little too close to home, building nests in quiet lofts or in wall cavities. Given their value as pollinators though, the decision over whether and how to remove them is a complex one.
How do you get bees out of a wall?
Start by determining exactly where the nest is inside the wall. Set up a lure trap near the area to draw bees from the colony. Once you notice that many bees are out of the wall, drill a hole where the nest is located. Insert the applicator end of the pesticide into the hole.