Using Bee Bombs to Safely and Effectively Kill Bees

Bees can be extremely beneficial insects that pollinate plants and produce honey. However, they can also become a nuisance or danger when large nests form near your home. Getting rid of bee nests often requires powerful chemicals that can be harmful to the environment. A safer and more eco-friendly alternative is using bee bombs – also called bee grenades or bee busters. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain what bee bombs are, how to use them properly, and why they are an excellent bee killing option.

What Are Bee Bombs and How Do They Work?

A bee bomb is a small device, typically resembling a grenade or softball, filled with insecticides that kill bees. Bee bombs are designed to be gently lobbed near a bee nest. When the bomb goes off, it releases a cloud of pesticides that suffocate and poison the bees inside the nest Different bee bombs contain varying pesticides, but common active ingredients include permethrin, prallethrin, esbiothrin, and imiprothrin. The pesticides kill bees on contact but are harmless to humans when used properly

Bee bombs offer a hands-off, no-fuss way to eliminate bee nests without directly spraying the nests. The bombs do all the work for you after a simple, safe toss The pesticides fill the nest and suffocate bees immediately while also leaving residual chemicals to kill bees returning later Within a day, the entire nest population will be dead. The bombing method prevents angry bee attacks while treating nests you can’t directly reach.

When Should You Use Bee Bombs?

Since they contain potent pesticides, bee bombs should only be used as a last resort against bee nests on your property. Here are some instances when bee bombs are an appropriate bee removal technique

• Large underground bee nests around your home’s foundation or in your lawn. It’s difficult and dangerous to dig these up and spray them directly.

• Bees nesting in wall voids, attics, crawl spaces, or other hard-to-access structural areas of your home. You cannot directly treat nests in these areas.

• Removing bee hives 20+ feet up in trees would require special equipment and poses falling risks. Bee bombs are a safer solution.

• You are highly allergic to bees and cannot safely perform typical bee nest removal methods. The hands-off approach of bee bombs is safest.

Bee bombs should NOT be used if the nests are easily accessible on bushes, low tree branches, fence posts, etc. In these cases, directly spraying nests is better. Only use bee bombs against inaccessible nests on your property with no risk of collateral damage.

How to Use Bee Bombs Effectively and Safely

Bee bombs are designed to be very simple to use, but there are still some precautions and usage tips to ensure effectiveness and safety:

• Wear protective clothing such as a bee suit, long sleeves, closed footwear, gloves, and goggles. Have an epinephrine pen on hand if you are allergic.

• Avoid using bee bombs in high winds when the chemicals could blow onto people, pets, or plants. Windless evenings are best.

• Lightly toss the activated bee bombs 3-5 feet away from nest entrances. Get close enough for the fumes to infiltrate the nest but not so close that you’ll be stung.

• Follow all label precautions of the specific bee bomb product you buy. Never use more than the recommended amount.

• Keep children and pets away during use until the bee bomb pesticides have time to dissipate.

• Cleanup any dead bee bodies near nest entrances about 24 hours after treatment.

• If the first bee bomb did not fully eliminate the nest, do not excessively re-bomb the area. Try liquid pesticide sprays instead.

Top-Rated Bee Bomb Brands and Products

Many brands now manufacture bee bombs containing varying pesticide ingredients. Some of the most reliable and well-reviewed bee bombs include:

Spectracide Wasp and Hornet Killer

• Contains prallethrin and esbiothrin pesticides
• Designed to shoot spray up to 27 feet to penetrate nests
• Foaming action helps suffocate bees quickly
• Also kills wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets

Eliminator Wasp and Hornet Spray

• Active ingredients of pyrethrin and permethrin
• Gel formula sticks well to nest surfaces
• Extended, pinpointed spray nozzle reaches nests 20+ feet away
• Pesticides remain potent for up to 4 weeks after application

Hot Shot Wasp and Hornet Jet Spray

• Features two powerful pyrethroids: tetramethrin and phenothrin
• Sprays up to 20 feet with potent jet nozzle
• Foaming action helps drown nest inhabitants
• Kills the entire nest population within 24 hours

EcoSmart Organic Bee and Wasp Killer Spray

• Made with plant-based active ingredients like rosemary oil – not synthetic pesticides
• Works well against nests within 3 feet
• More eco-friendly and kid/pet safe option
• Causes some bees to flee nests before dying

Why Are Bee Bombs a Good Option?

For nests that are difficult or unsafe to directly treat, bee bombs offer an easy, fast, and effective removal method. Here’s why bee bombs can be the best bee killing option in many situations:

• Requires minimal effort – just lightly toss near nest entrance

• No need for cumbersome protective equipment during use

• Cannot be used unsafely or improperly like liquid sprays

• Allows treatment of hard-to-reach nests like those underground or in walls

• Hands-off approach reduces your chances of being stung

• Fast knockdown and residual pesticide effects in one treatment

• Convenient and inexpensive compared to calling professional pest control

So if you have discovered problem bee nests in tricky areas on your property, bee bombs are often your safest and most efficient removal method. Follow all label directions carefully to get rid of bee nests with minimal hassle. The bombs provide an intelligent hands-off way to deal with annoying and dangerous bee infestations around your home.