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Does Bleach Repel Bees? (Read This First!)

Bees are the best-known pollinators in nature, having evolved into their current form over millions of years. They are ambiguously famous for their honey production mechanism through bee hives. 

But these bee hives might sometimes cause unwanted problems if they build their hives in such a place like around our homes and other residential areas.

Therefore, in a situation like that, it is very important to use some bee repellents in order to control the situation and get rid of them. Now, let us talk about whether or not bleach repels bees and also some interesting information about their daily activities.

Does bleach repel bees?

Bees are not repellent to bleach. Because, as a matter of fact, bleach is a pesticide, not an insecticide that would usually work as a bee repellent. On the other hand, Bees perish when they are submerged in liquids. As a result, if bees are ever submerged in bleach, they may perish from drowning.

Bees are found in about 20,000 different species all over the world. Among the 20,000 species, bees account for roughly 2,000–4,000 species, which span all 50 states in the United States of America.

Let us have a look at different species of bees to see if they are bleach resistant or not. The following are some of them:

Carpenter bees: 

Although the name “carpenter” refers to a person or craftsman who works with wood to make furniture, it refers to the “carpenter bees” in a completely different way. Because they are capable of destroying any type of wooden item.

Carpenter bees are not normally bleach-resistant. They may, however, perish if you are able to drown them in bleach using your own methods.

Worker bees: 

Worker bees are one of nature’s most committed insects, and they usually work tirelessly to complete a multitude of activities in the hive. 

Even though being females, they are unable to reproduce and thus are assigned to complete the different chores in a hive.

They also serve as the most significant pollination agents in our environment, helping to kickstart the growth of various plants. They are not resistant to bleach. 

Honey bees:

The worker bee, the drone bee, and the queen bee are the three types of honey bees that can be found in nature. The term “drones” refers to the male bees in a hive, whereas the term “worker bee” refers to the female bees in a hive.

Each of these honey bees in a single hive has a unique duty to play. As a result, the drones and worker bees labor for their queen bee and are responsible for the hive’s general maintenance and food supply.

Worker bees, as previously stated, are one type of honey bee that does not reject bleach; consequently, the whole honey bee population does not usually repel bleach.

Does bleach attract bees? Do bees like bleach water? 

Yes, bees are attracted to bleach. Again, it is a very interesting fact that bees do like bleach water as well as being quite enchanted by the smell of it. Let us help you understand the attracting mechanism of bees to bleach water with some simple examples.

Assume you placed two water bodies in front of a bee, one containing fresh water and the other containing water mixed with chlorine bleach. As bees are quite fond of sores and sweet smells, they will most definitely choose the one with bleach in it.

Bees do love a hot, bubbly bath in the sun in the chlorine water of swimming pools. That is why it is quite evident that the bees are not repellent to the bleach in the chlorine water but rather quite attracted to it.

Bees need water for their daily activities in different seasons. Bee farm owners do arrange various water sources for bees in order to help them carry out their other physiological activities.

However, bee farm owners follow specific techniques in order to lure the bees into the water bodies. Bee farm owners use bleach as the primary ingredient to attract the bees to the different water sources.

The best way to attract bees and lure them into the best water sources is to use bleach in the body of water. Thus, bleach and bleach water, both of which most definitely attract bees.

Does bleach terminate bee hives? 

No, bleach does not terminate bee hives. Bees are pretty much comfortable with bleach, other than in some exceptional circumstances. Besides, bees do not expire until and unless they come in contact with any life-threatening insecticides for them or they submerge into different kinds of liquid materials. 

As a result, even if you attempt to terminate bee hives using bleach or any other material and give them any indication of harm, you might get into some big trouble if you do not wear the proper bee suit or other necessary precautions. 

If they get irritated by your attempt to terminate the beehive, the bunch of bees might swarm you thinking you are a threat to them.

3 reasons why bleach does not repel bees

There are multiple reasons why bleach does not repel bees. Among those reasons, here are 3 noteworthy reasons that we think you should know:

Not being an insecticide:

The first and foremost reason bees do not repel bleach is that it is not an insecticide. Insecticides are used to terminate insects. But bleach is a pesticide that is made with chlorine.

Bleach is not an insecticide. It does not terminate bees until and unless the bees are drowned or submerged in it. Thus, this is one of the reasons why bleach does not repel bees.

Enchanting smell: 

We are not usually repelled by the smells that we love. The same goes for the bees. Bees do get enchanted by the soaring and volatile as well as the strong smell of bleach.

Again, the bee farm owners do use bleach to grab the attention of bees so that they can be lured to the best water bodies. Thus, the enchanting smell of bleach to the bees is another reason why bees are not repellent to bleach.

Fondness towards chlorinated bodies of water:

The chlorinated bodies of water contain quite a significant amount of bleach. In particular, one example of such a chlorinated water body can be a swimming pool.

Bees do possess a special fondness for chlorinated water bodies that are enriched with a good amount of bleach in them. Therefore, this can be considered another reason why bleach does not repel bees.

How does bleach affect bees?

Bleach can affect bees in different ways. If you want to know them, here are a few that we think are important for you know:

Attract bees to bodies of water:

Bleach does attract bees to different water bodies. For example, if you place a bucket full of fresh water, the bees will not come at all.

But the moment you add a teaspoon of bleach to it, the bees will start to come. Bleach also attracts bees, causing them to pay special attention to domestic or commercial swimming pools. Thus, bleach attracts bees to water bodies.

Helps bees stick to a regular water source:

Bee farm owners want their bees to drink water from a regular water source that is enriched with all kinds of minerals.

To introduce the bees to that water source, the bee farm owners do use a small amount of bleach in the water. Thus, bleach helps the bees stick to a regular water source.

How do you keep bees away?

There are many ways to keep bees away from you and your family. Here are some effective methods that we think you may use:

By planting different herbs in your yard:

Different herbs are highly repulsive to bees. Those are vanilla, garlic, peppermint, basil, and cinnamon.

Therefore, if you plant some of these herbs in your yard, their fragrance would keep the bees away. Thus, these herbs are highly recommended for you so that you can use them to repel bees.

Marigold plants:

Marigold plants are considered one of the most effective bee repellents. Even though bees are attracted to bright colors and marigolds do have it, they can’t stand the odor of them.

Thus, these can also be used as bee repellents. Just plant them beside or inside your house in a nice pot or tub.

Cucumber peels:

Cucumber, as another natural bee repellent, is quite effective in terms of keeping the bees away from your house. Simply place the cucumber peels around your house. You may also plant cucumber plants outside your yard in order to keep the bees away.

Final Thoughts 

Bleach does not repel bees. In fact, it attracts them. Other sorts of pesticides are strongly recommended if you wish to get rid of bees in your yard. When bees are submerged in liquids, they typically expire. As a result, even though bleach is not a repellent, bees will perish if they drown in it.