If you’ve been living in the tropical areas and States of the US, chances are you may have experienced or known people who had previous encounters with bees getting inside their houses. It may not be the same experience as other bugs like spiders and houseflies because some bees can sting. So how do bees enter our houses?
There are different types of bees that can enter your house, like honeybees and bumblebees, primarily due to the warmth of your home, swarming, or simply due to cracks and holes on your wall. They can enter through your doors, windows, the chimney, or cracks along the walls. Bees will not generally destroy your home, but call for a professional to remove them for you.
So, why do these bees enter our homes, and are there ways to prevent them from entering in the future?
Why do bees enter your house?
There are more than 20,000 known bee species worldwide, with around 4,000 native to the United States [1], but you don’t have to worry about most of them entering your house.
The first thing you will notice if bees are inside your house is their buzzing sound. They can be in various places in your homes, but they generally choose existing holes and cracks in your house as a start.
Though there are no exact reasons why bees would choose your house, some possible causes are favorable or temperate climate, proximity to vegetation and food sources like flowers, and even previous beehives or colonies in your home [2].
Though bees can be considered unwelcomed intruders in most houses, there are civilizations and cultures, like in China, where bees in the house, especially hives, are regarded to bring good luck [3].
Where do bees enter going into the house?
According to bee experts, bees can enter the house through various paths like the following: [7].
- Bathroom and Attic Vents
- Cracks, gaps, and holes in the wall
- Chimney
- Gutters
Types of bees that go inside the house
There are more than 4,000 species of bees in the United States, but not all of them are a threat to enter your homes. Most of the bee species that enter the house are these three.
1. Honeybees
Honeybees are the types that make honey, as already seen from their name. They are also the type that usually swarms and can start their colony in houses. If this happens, there are possibilities of honey oozing on your walls or other places.
2. Bumblebees
Bumblebees are also social insects but do not make honey, unlike honeybees. While most bumblebees nest on the ground or in other holes, they can also use your house’s wall as their nest.
3. Carpenter bees
Unlike honeybees and bumblebees, carpenter bees are solitary bees that usually bore holes in wood to create nests. You may hear a buzzing sound if carpenter bees live inside your walls.
How to prevent bees from getting into your house.
Bee colonies sometimes invade a house or empty spaces because their hives have become too overpopulated that they need to relocate and form another colony along with their old queen [4]. When this happens, the bees can move fast and create a new hive where they will reproduce and grow.
In the city and other places with no natural green spaces, like trees and forests, bees have fewer choices, and the best place they often find for their relocation is in wood-based houses [5].
Since bees are common to enter houses and establish their hive there, prevention is better than cure. Bees love finding cracks and holes in the house, including windows, pipes, wall holes, chimneys, and old frames. So, it is best to block their entry by installing wire meshes around the openings like doors and windows, caulking in gaps and cracks, and chimneys must be capped [6].
When is the time to call for professional help to get rid of bees?
Please take note that if you don’t have any prior experience with handling bees, don’t try it yourself to avoid getting stung or killing the ever-important bees.
While you should prevent bees from establishing a new hive in your homes, there are also times when it will be too late, leaving you with no choice but to call licensed and accredited professionals to perform your needed services.
There are many professional pest control companies that specialize in swarms and managing colonies. They have the skills, equipment, and knowledge on how to properly handle if your bee problem goes out of hand.
It is also crucial that the professionals you contact have prior experience with dealing with the buzzing bees because if the hive is not removed correctly, they can cause another bee-related problem in the future.
Removing and relocating honeybees.
Some homeowners find bees helpful with their yards, particularly with their plants and flowers, so they don’t look at the bees as problematic but are simply inconveniences, especially if the bees live inside their homes.
So, suppose your purpose is to simply relocate the honeybee colonies to a different location instead of, such as in a tree, instead of exterminating them. In that case, it may cost you a little more when you pay for professional beekeepers and pest controls.
Conclusion
Bees entering your house can be regular if they are only a few, especially if you’re living in tropical places and those that are once already occupied by bee colonies. But if you notice that their number is growing, it may be a cause of concern.
When their colony starts to grow, Honeybees and other social bees can swarm and find other locations to create a new hive, including houses. They can begin with holes and cracks, wall openings, chimneys and fireplaces, and even in the attic as their new homes.
If you notice bees are starting to increase in numbers, you may call your local beekeeper or pest control professionals to help you deal with your buzzing problem.
References
[1] – https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-many-species-native-bees-are-united-states
[2] – https://entomologytoday.org/2014/05/28/how-to-keep-honey-bees-from-nesting-in-your-home/
[3] – https://www.happiary.com/a-bee-happy-journey-part-ii-of-iii/
[4] – https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/in970
[5] – https://slate.com/technology/2017/07/why-do-bees-keep-nesting-in-homes.html
[6] – https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/insects/honey-bees-in-and-around-buildings/
