Bess buzzing all-around can ruin a pleasant time out. There are safe ways of repelling bees without using pesticides that can harm them. When we say repelling bees, we mean deterring them away, not perishing them.
Even if bees can be quite irritating when they are flapping all around you, they are beneficial to nature and important to the ecosystem.
The use of pesticides or other harmful chemicals to get rid of bees should not be encouraged at all. There are many natural ways that you can opt to deter the bees away from your garden or keep them out of your home.
Does cinnamon repel bees?
Cinnamon can repel bees. Bees don’t like the smell of cinnamon. Also, it is a natural element that does not harm or perish bees. They just tend to avoid any places with the sharp smell of cinnamon. You can find many natural bee repellent recipes where people use ground cinnamon or cinnamon oil.
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You can use cinnamon in both the powder and oil form to get rid of bees. The plan is to keep them away from the personal space so they don’t become a buzzkill. Bees don’t like the smell of cinnamon and try to avoid the area where there’s any smell of the spice.
Ground bees:
Cinnamon can repel ground bees. While ground bees like sweet-smelling things, they don’t like the smell of cinnamon. They live by building nests in underground holes or burrows. Ground bees are quite aggressive and need to be dealt with carefully.
You can easily get rid of ground bees by sprinkling some ground cinnamon near the holes of their nest. You have to continue doing this for several days to drive the bees away. After multiple attempts, they will take the hint and won’t come back.
Bumblebees:
Cinnamon can help you get rid of bumble bees. Bumblebees prefer to nest underground and their stings are quite painful. But it is important not to perish them as they are already at risk of extinction and like all other animals, essential for the balance in the ecosystem.
Cinnamon oil works best when it comes to deterring bumble bees. You can make a repellent spray with cinnamon oil and a mix of one or two other essential oil and baby shampoo to get rid of bumble bees.
Their nests are usually smaller than the honey bees but they are more aggressive.
Honey bees:
Cinnamon can repel honey bees as well. Since honey bees are mostly attracted to the sweet-smelling flowers for their nectar, they tend to avoid strong smells like cinnamon.
You can keep honey bees away from your home using cinnamon but they may still come and visit your yard.
Honey bees are not as aggressive as bumblebees and they build bigger nests. With bigger nests, they have bigger colonies. So you will have to continue sprinkling cinnamon for about two weeks to drive them away completely.
How does cinnamon repel bees?
Bees are not a fan of spicy smells. If you sprinkle some cinnamon powder near the areas that they like to visit a lot, they soon lose interest due to the smell and avoid the area. It can be a good way of keeping them at a distance from your personal space.
It is said that both ground cinnamon and cinnamon oil works for repelling bees. You can either sprinkle some cinnamon powder or pour little cinnamon oil near the areas you would like to steer clear from the bees. Even placing cinnamon sticks may help as well.
Can cinnamon attract bees?
Cinnamon does not attract bees. Bees are mostly attracted to sweet-smelling things like flowers, floral perfumes, body lotions, deodorants, etc.
Cinnamon has a very strong smell that masks the sweet smell of flowers hence bees are easily discouraged by it and try to avoid the areas.
Does cinnamon harm bees?
Cinnamon hardly harms bees. Since cinnamon is a natural element, it does not cause any harm to the bees unless you are putting it directly over their bodies. It is not wise to put cinnamon powder or oil directly on the bees as it can cause discomfort to them.
Just sprinkling some near their nest or around the areas they most visit will keep them away. Also, refrain from sprinkling cinnamon directly over their nest as this can also harm them. The goal is to discourage them from visiting the area, not harm them.
Does cinnamon oil repel bees?
Almost like ground cinnamon, cinnamon oil also has a spicy aroma that can repel bees. Ground cinnamon may be more impactful since they possess the strongest aroma that bees detest.
But if you don’t have access to ground cinnamon or whole cinnamon but need to deter the bees with cinnamon oil, you can opt for it.
How to get rid of bees with cinnamon?
The following tips will help you to get rid of bees with cinnamon –
Sprinkle ground cinnamon near the areas that bees visit:
Sprinkling cinnamon powder is one of the easiest ways of deterring bees. All you need is some ground cinnamon to sprinkle near the areas that bees visit frequently. You can also put some around their nest to mask other smells that attract them.
Bees don’t like the smell of cinnamon. They lose interest in the areas and try to avoid them. But it is not a one-day job. If you stop sprinkling after one day, they’ll soon return. You have to do this every day for at least a week for a long-lasting result.
Place an open container filled with cinnamon near their nests and roaming areas:
Another easy way is to simply place an open container filled with cinnamon. The cinnamon can be both ground or whole. This will release a strong aroma that bees detest. If you put a container near their nests, they will soon leave the area.
You can also place such containers near the patio when you’re trying to enjoy outdoor time. This will keep them at a distance and you can enjoy your time without any bees buzzing around your ears or food.
Make a bee repellent spray with cinnamon and spray over the areas:
You can also try making a bee repellent spray with cinnamon and some other ingredients for a more lost lasting effect on the bee situation. You can start by mixing 3 teaspoons of water and liquid soap each in a spray bottle.
Then add a few drops of peppermint oil and shake well. In this mixture, add 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and cinnamon powder each.
Combine everything well and spray the mixture around their nest and roaming areas. Once the water contents evaporate, the cayenne pepper and cinnamon residues will still stay and drive the bees away. So this repellent spray can be very useful for a long-lasting result.
What are the other ways to repel bees naturally?
Some ways to repel bees naturally have been given below –
Garlic:
You can use either the bulbs or the juice of garlic to deter them. Garlic has a very strong pungent aroma that bees can’t stand. You can also stop them from entering your house by sprinkling some garlic powder near the openings or any entry points.
Cayenne pepper:
Bees don’t like the smell coming from cayenne pepper. Just sprinkle some cayenne pepper near the areas they frequently visit. You can also put some around their nests. This will confuse them and make them avoid the areas.
Cucumber peels:
Cucumber peels along with aluminum foil emit a toxic smell that bees absolutely detest. You can cut some cucumber peels, pile them up on aluminum foil, and leave them near the areas where the bees visit frequently.
You can also place some peels on your windows to stop them from coming inside.
Mothballs:
Mothballs help to mask the smells that attract bees. You can put some mothballs in a cheesecloth or a nylon cloth and hang them around their nests and other roaming areas. This will confuse the bees and they will soon stop visiting those areas.
Marigolds:
Bees, like many other insects, don’t like the pungent aroma of marigolds. You can limit the roaming of bees in your yard or house by planting marigolds in your garden.
You can line up marigold plants near the area where you spend outdoor time to keep them away from you and your family.
Peppermint:
Bees don’t like the sharp smell coming from peppermint. You can plant peppermint plants to keep their frequent visits at bay. You can also try dabbing a cotton ball in peppermint oil and placing it around the areas where you don’t want the bees to intervene.
Final thoughts
Cinnamon can help you repel bees. It is a natural way of deterring the bees as it does not harm them if used with caution. You can use ground cinnamon or cinnamon oil to drive the bees away from your home and yard. The best plan is to sprinkle cinnamon powder near their nests and visiting areas.