Our homes can often get infested with different sorts of bugs and insects at every corner. Some of these tiny creatures tend to live in harmony with humans but may cause harm or disturbance to many people as well.
Therefore, you can learn about keeping away insects such as bees and wasps in the abstract below:
Does mint repel bees and wasps?
Strongly scented plants such as mint are very effective at repelling stinging insects such as bees and wasps. Although the scent of mint is pleasant to humans, the scent is irritating and overpowering to the stinging insects such as bees and wasps who are sensitive to strong smells.
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Mint is an aromatic herb that is widely known to grow throughout the temperate areas of the world. There are several varieties of mint with spearmint and peppermint being the most popular among others.
Mint has a wide variety of uses ranging from uses as a herb in cooking, beverages, medicine and commonly as a fragrant. Various mints are available as essential oils as well with peppermint oil being a popular choice for many.
Even though mints are one of the most popular scented plants for people across the world, this sentiment is not shared across insects.
Due to the overwhelming smell of the mints, many insects including the stinging insects such as bees and wasps tend to steer away from areas that contain the scent of mint.
Bees:
Bees are known for being one of the most useful insects in the garden for being an excellent pollinator in exchange for the nectar they harvest from flowering plants. But if you have a garden next to your house – bees might accidentally make their way indoors.
Having mint plants in the corners of your house can effectively discourage any incoming bees, likewise you can also use their essential oil to achieve the same goal.
Wasps:
Similarly, wasps also have a repulsion towards any type of mint and would stay clear of any area which has the scent of mint. Placing mint plant pots or treating any cracks, crevices or windows with peppermint oil can efficiently keep wasps from coming indoors.
Does peppermint repel wasps and bees? Do bees and wasps like mint?
There are various types of mint plants found both in the wild and in gardens as well, peppermint is one such variety of mint that is excessively popular among people due to its strong pleasant scent which makes it suitable for use in scented candles and incense as well.
Even though the scent is much favored to the liking of humans, most insects cannot withstand the scent of mint, especially peppermint, at all.
Many insects are known for their sensitive sense of smell which means that the strong scent of peppermint will intensely register and irritate their sense of smell. For this reason, stinging insects like bees and wasps do not like mint at all and find their presence intolerable.
The same effect can be observed for any object containing the scent of peppermint such as candles, incense or fragrance sprays.
Therefore, if you keep peppermint plants near or in your house – you will notice a significant decrease in wasps and bees as they will be repelled by it.
Similarly, if you have incense, candles or fragrance containing the extract of peppermint or drops of peppermint oil – that will work just as effectively to keep wasps and bees away from your house.
3 reasons why mint repels bees and wasps
Bees and wasps avoid mint and stay away from scented areas for several reasons, and they are described below:
Strong smell:
Mint plants such as spearmint and peppermint are well known for the strong scented aroma they emit. Although the scent of mint is popular among people, the scent is overwhelming for insects such as bees and wasps.
This is due to the sensitive smelling capabilities bees and wasps possess compared to humans.
Scents that are fairly strong for the sense of smell for humans are overwhelming and overpowering for the sense of smell for wasps and bees. Therefore, they tend to stay away from mint plants.
Irritation:
Strong smell alone is not the contributing factor for causing bees and wasps to stay away from mint. Due to the scent being strong for wasps and bees, it irritates their sense of smell and prevents them from differentiating other smells.
Bees and wasps rely on their smell for navigation and communication as well, therefore being unable to smell properly would deter them away from the mint scent source.
Nothing to gain from mint:
Bees and wasps can be seen around flowering plants because they feed on sugar which the flowers provide in the form of nectar. But mint plants do not provide them with the high quantity of nectar that they would collect from.
Since there is no benefit to receive from mint, they do not approach it as well.
Will mint leaves keep bees and wasps away? Will mint plants keep bees and wasps away?
Mint leaves are highly effective at keeping bees and wasps away but their effectiveness depends on the state of mint leaves. Freshly plucked mint leaves tend to have a stronger and more durable smell than dried mint leaves.
However, mint leaves would keep away bees and wasps regardless of being fresh or dried. Using mint plucked mint leaves is a good option if you do not want to keep a plant indoors.
However, if you have no issues with keeping plants indoors – then the best option for you would be to keep a mint plant pot near your windows or doors.
Keeping a mint plant is efficient at keeping away bees and wasps due to the concentration of its scent and unlike keeping only leaves, the plant leaves would not dry out that frequently and be much more durable.
What mint repels wasps and bees?
Bees and wasps are repelled by all types of mint because all species of mints are known to be strongly scented. Both spearmint and peppermint are known for their strong scented aromas that are pleasant for humans but intolerable for insects such as bees and wasps.
However, comparing between spearmint and peppermint – in terms of strength of scent and longevity of scent, peppermint is the clear winner. Peppermint is often processed into essential oils and other forms because their scent can sometimes be overwhelming for humans even.
Although spearmint works effectively in repelling wasps and bees, if you are looking to keep bees away for a long time, peppermint can give a durable solution as its scent dissipates for a much longer time.
How to repel bees and wasps with mint?
There are several methods and items that you can use that are effective at repelling bees and wasps. Below stated are some of the most effective ways you can use mint to keep bees and wasps away:
Placing mint plant pots or leaves:
The simplest and most cost effective way of dealing with bees is to use raw mint leaves or placing a mint plant pot in your house.
Since mint leaves have a strong insect repellent property on top of being an aromatic plant – it would not only improve the overall smell of your indoors but also keep away unwanted insects such as bees and wasps out of your house.
Keeping mint plants indoors is also suitable as it thrives in shady locations.
Lighting mint scented candles:
If you don’t want to keep a plant indoors, you can use mint scented candles instead. They give off the scent of mint when burnt and would work similarly to keep away any incoming bees or wasps.
Using mint incenses:
If you don’t want to keep a source of open flame exposed in your house, a mint incense is an excellent alternative as they would give off the scent of mint – keeping your room well scented while keeping away bees or wasps.
Spraying mint scented air fragrance:
The most quick and easy solution to both keeping insects away and keeping your room well scented is to use a mint scented air fragrance. They do not require lighting or set up unlike candles and incense and can be directly applied into the room you wish.
Final Thoughts
Plants with strong scents, such as mint, are highly effective in repelling stinging insects like bees and wasps. Although the aroma of mint is pleasant to humans, it is unpleasant and overwhelming to stinging insects like bees and wasps, who are sensitive to strong odors.