Bees and wasps arguably perform some of the most important functions in keeping our environment safe and liveable, but sometimes, in pursuit of those goals, they become annoying pests.
There are ways to repel bees and wasps, to keep them away from your outdoor dinner party, or to stop them buzzing around your head, but unfortunately, a lot of these methods require that the bees or wasps be killed, which is just not right!
With bees slowly becoming relatively endangered, it is more important now than ever to keep them safe.
Rather than simply batting them and wasps away until they’re dead, is there another way to keep them far from you without any harm coming to them?
Luckily, there is! With the right combination of very natural essential oils, you can create bee and wasp repellents that will keep them from spoiling any outdoor events, without harming them.
So what oils are needed to repel bees and wasps? And how much are they, and how can you get them?
Let’s not dawdle, and dive right in!
Are There Any Essential Oils To Repel Bees And Wasps?
The list is quite extensive, and the range of benefits they provide are quite different.
So why don’t we take a look at them now?
Peppermint Oil
It’s likely that even just hearing the words ‘Peppermint Oil’ were enough to have you imagining the strong minty scent.
The peppery and fiery scent of peppermint is more than enough to dissuade wasps and bees from disturbing you.
You can simply spray peppermint oil around the area you want the bees or wasps to stay away from.
You may need to respray the area every hour or so, but you should only need a few sprays, as this stuff is very potent.
The good thing about peppermint oil is that it has a very pleasant smell that makes it non-repellent for humans, and even creates a rather Christmassy scent that is perfect for the holiday season.
Geranium Oil
Geranium is another very strong and fragrant solution to keep bees and wasps away from a specific area.
It is extracted from the Pelargonium Graveolens which are native plants to South Africa!
This stuff is perhaps even more potent than Peppermint oil, and thus you really only need to use a very small amount.
Simply wet a small cotton bud with the substance, and then dab it over whatever surface you want to keep them away from.
This works on both man-made structures such as buildings, as well as plant-life, without harming the plants.
In fact, this stuff has such a potent fragrance, that you could simply place a few drops onto a cotton ball or onto a small piece of fabric, and place it close to the area you want to ward the insects away from.
The smell will carry very far, so as to act like an invisible protective barrier.
Many anti-bee balms and oils that can be purchased at pharmacies actually contain Geranium, thanks to its incredibly strong scent.
Eucalyptus Oil
You’ve likely used Eucalyptus oil in some form or another in the past.
It is a very commonly-used substance that adds a fresh and fragrant smell to anything it is added to.
It’s very commonly used in shower gels and soaps.
You can also easily get your hands on it in its purest form, which you can then apply directly to any area or surface that you want to keep protected.
Eucalyptus oil is relatively inexpensive, and can be easily purchased from your local pharmacist.
You can even grow your own eucalyptus plants to use as insect deterrents, or to create your own oil with.
This can be a great way to save money on eucalyptus oil, while also keeping you busy and engaged with helping your plant to thrive.
Eucalyptus oil is similarly very fragrant and strong, and as such you can use just a small amount everyday to keep bees and wasps away.
You can even apply it directly to yourself if you need to, to create a protective barrier around yourself.
Cedarwood Oil
Bees are attracted to flowers. It’s largely their reason for being.
They are responsible for helping to develop healthy pollen in plant life, and as such they are always drawn to colorful shapes, or pleasant and flowery smells.
As such, you can use cedarwood oil to ward bees and wasps away from certain spots, as it is not an attractive smell to them.
The smell is rather too ‘woody’, as you might expect, and this is not beneficial for them, and thus they will simply stay away from any area that smells like it.
Cedarwood is quite easy to get your hands on, and is a commonly used substance, but you do have to use quite a significant amount of it in order for it to fully deter groups of bees or wasps.
This could quite significantly increase costs, so you should be sure to put your cedarwood to good use, so that you don’t waste your hard earned money.
Citrus Oil
Citrus oil creates a great deterrent for bees and wasps, as, though they both very much dislike it, it is very pleasant to human noses.
Thus, applying some citrus oil to a spot of your garden, or your home can be a great idea, to create a room-filling pleasant fragrance that also has the added function of deterring pests.
Citrus oils are also quite easy to get your hands on, so you won’t need to hunt around for lots of hours trying to find exactly the right stuff for you.
Combine it with some of your other favorite oils to create entirely new scents and scent combinations that will delight your nose with every breath, while still keeping bees and wasps at bay.
It is not entirely clear why citrus works so well as a bee and wasp deterrent, but it likely has something to do with the rather sour scent of the stuff which proves overwhelming for such small creatures.
To Wrap Up
There are so many easy ways to keep bees and wasps away from you that don’t involve directly harming them, or even worse, killing them.
No longer will you have to use electric bug zappers, pesticides, or fly swatters.
Why not simply grab one of the many oils we mentioned above, and try lightly scattering it across an area you want to deter them away from?
It’s easy to do, doesn’t cost you the earth, and it can smell incredibly pleasant while it does its job.
We hope this article has proven enlightening to you, and has shown you a whole new world of bee and wasp deterrent that you may not have known about before!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Vinegar Repel Bees And Wasps?
If you need a very quick short-term solution to a bee and wasp invasion, don’t worry, simply grab any vinegar products you may have, as they will definitely come in handy.
Simply pour a small amount onto a fabric cloth or a cotton ball, and then dab the vinegar onto whatever surface you need to keep protected.
The pungent and sharp scent of the vinegar will put the wasps or bees off, so that they won’t be tempted over.
This can be a perfect solution for outdoor events.
Do Essential Oils Kill Bees?
Although essential oils can be used to ward away unwanted bees or wasps, there are a few essential oils that can be very lethal to bees.
Thyme oil is especially harmful to bees, and with high enough concentrations can outright kill bees.
Thus, you should aim to avoid using thyme to repel bees, as bees should be actively protected and not harmed.
How Do You Attract Bees But Not Wasps?
If you want to attract a higher concentration of bees than wasps in your garden, then simply plant more flowers!
More flowers will attract more bees, which will mean there is less room for wasps to join in!
Bees also need somewhere to nest, so you may also want to create a beehive or some other habitat that can host them.
Hi, my name is Hannah Shiftle, and I started using essential oils 15 years ago. At first, I was dubious of them, much like a lot of people. However, as I began to use them on a daily basis, I quickly discovered how much of a difference they had on both my physical and mental health.
Through Oil Health Benefits, I will be sharing my knowledge and passion for essential oils with you, providing readers with all the information they need to know. From the best oils to use for illnesses, to understanding what makes essential oils pure, I have covered all these topics.
