The most effective way to keep bees away is a combination of sealing entry points on your home, choosing the right plants for your yard, and removing the food and water sources that attract them in the first place. But before you take action, it helps to know exactly what you’re dealing with, because the insect buzzing around your patio may not be a bee at all, and the best response depends on which one it is.
First, Identify What You’re Dealing With
Honeybees, yellowjackets, paper wasps, and hornets all look similar at a glance, but they behave very differently and call for different strategies. Honeybees are mustard yellow and brown with stocky, hairy bodies. They visit flowers for nectar and pollen and are never attracted to your hamburger or soda can. Yellowjackets, on the other hand, are black and yellow with smooth, shiny bodies. They scavenge meat and sugary drinks, which is why they crash outdoor meals. People frequently mistake yellowjackets for bees.
Paper wasps are longer and thinner, with a narrow “wasp waist” and brown-and-yellow coloring. They build small, open-faced nests under eaves, in bushes, and inside empty garden pots, with colonies topping out around 100 insects. Yellowjackets build much larger colonies inside paper-covered nests. Some species nest underground in old rodent burrows, while others nest inside wall cavities, palm trees, and other sheltered spaces above ground.
Why does this matter? If you have honeybees, killing them creates problems (more on that below) and a beekeeper can relocate them for free. If you have yellowjackets or wasps pestering your outdoor space, the deterrent strategies in this article are your best bet.
Seal Your Home’s Entry Points
Bees and wasps get into walls, attics, and soffits through surprisingly small gaps. A thorough inspection of your home’s exterior twice a year is one of the best preventive steps you can take. Focus on the roofline, eaves, soffits (the underside of your roof overhang), vents, the chimney base, and anywhere pipes or wires enter the house.
For small holes, stuff them with steel wool and seal over the top with caulk. For larger openings, use hardware cloth with a quarter-inch to half-inch mesh. Metal flashing works well around roof joints where gaps tend to reopen over time. Cover gable, ridge, and soffit vents with sturdy mesh screens that block insects but still allow airflow. These materials hold up far better than foam or plastic, which bees can chew through or work around.
If you discover an active nest inside a wall void or attic space, especially one involving wasps or bats, call a professional rather than attempting removal yourself.
Plants That Help Repel Bees and Wasps
Several strongly scented plants naturally discourage bees and wasps from lingering in an area. Placing them around patios, porches, doorways, and outdoor dining spots creates a fragrant buffer zone. The most effective options include:
- Peppermint and spearmint: Their intense menthol scent is one of the strongest natural insect deterrents. Grow them in pots near seating areas, since mint spreads aggressively in garden beds.
- Citronella: Already well known for repelling mosquitoes, citronella works on wasps and bees too. Plant it directly around outdoor gathering spots.
- Basil: Potted basil on a porch or patio pulls double duty as a cooking herb and an insect deterrent.
- Marigolds: Their pungent scent keeps wasps and many other insects away. They’re easy to grow as border plants around patios and garden edges.
- Eucalyptus: The strong aromatic oils repel wasps, mosquitoes, and other flying insects.
- Thyme: Contains essential oils that deter wasps and mosquitoes. Works well as a ground cover or patio border.
- Red geraniums: A unique case. Bees cannot see the color red, and these flowers produce very little pollen with a scent bees actively dislike.
- Lemon balm: Gives off a citrus scent that drives away wasps and other flying insects.
One caution: wormwood is highly effective at repelling wasps, but it’s toxic to pets that chew on it. Keep it in areas away from dogs, cats, and small children.
On the flip side, be mindful of what you plant near high-traffic areas. Flowering plants that produce heavy nectar, like sunflowers, clover, and wildflower mixes, will actively draw bees in. That’s great for a pollinator garden in the back corner of your yard, but not ideal next to your front door or patio table.
Remove What Attracts Them
Bees follow scent. Honeybees zero in on floral fragrances, while yellowjackets chase protein and sugar. Keeping both types away means reducing the signals that pull them toward your space.
Outdoors, cover food and drinks during meals. Rinse soda cans before setting them down. Keep trash cans sealed with tight-fitting lids, and clean them regularly so residue doesn’t build up. Pick up fallen fruit from fruit trees promptly, since fermenting fruit is a powerful attractant for yellowjackets.
Standing water also draws insects. Empty bird baths, plant saucers, and kiddie pools when not in use, or change the water frequently. If you have a pool or fountain, bees may be visiting it for water. Providing a small water dish with pebbles in a far corner of your yard can redirect them away from areas where people gather.
Avoid wearing floral-scented perfumes, lotions, or hair products when spending time outdoors during peak bee season. Bright floral patterns on clothing can also attract curious bees. Stick with light, solid-colored clothing if bees are a recurring problem in your area.
What to Do About Honeybees Specifically
If honeybees have formed a cluster on a tree branch, fence post, or the side of your home, you’re likely looking at a swarm. Swarms are temporary. A colony that has outgrown its hive sends out a group to find a new home, and the cluster you see is essentially a rest stop. They often move on within 24 to 72 hours.
If the swarm doesn’t leave or has moved into a wall cavity, call a local beekeeper rather than an exterminator. Experienced beekeepers can remove a swarm by gently brushing or shaking the bees into a cardboard box and relocating them. This is better for the bee population, and it’s better for your home. Killing a colony in place with pesticides (which are only legally available to licensed pest control operators anyway) often leads to serious problems: dead bees hold moisture and rot, producing a terrible smell. Decomposing material can seep through walls. And if the colony’s honey isn’t removed, it ferments and leaks through ceilings and interior walls, causing expensive structural damage.
Most local beekeeping associations maintain hotlines or online directories of beekeepers willing to do free removals. A quick search for your city or county plus “swarm removal” will usually turn one up.
If You Get Stung
Move away from the area first to avoid additional stings. If you see a stinger in the skin (it looks like a small black dot), scrape it out as soon as possible using a fingernail or the flat edge of a butter knife. Only honeybees leave stingers behind, so if you don’t see one, you were likely stung by a wasp or yellowjacket.
Apply a cold pack to reduce swelling, and take an over-the-counter antihistamine if the area becomes itchy or puffy. Don’t scratch the sting site, as that increases infection risk. Don’t apply mud, heat, or try to dig out a stinger that’s below the skin surface. It will work its way out naturally as the skin sheds.
For most people, a sting causes localized pain and swelling that resolves within a few hours to a couple of days. But a small percentage of people experience anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that causes throat swelling, difficulty breathing, dizziness, or a rapid drop in blood pressure. If you or someone nearby shows these signs, use an epinephrine auto-injector if available and call emergency services immediately. People with a known allergy to stings should carry an auto-injector and an oral antihistamine whenever they’re outdoors.