Use organic pest control for ground bees if you find you have an infestation in your yard or garden.
What are Ground Bees?
Ground bees make their nests in the ground as opposed to hives or honeycombs. They are solitary creatures, posing little or no threat to anyone. Generally the ground bees that are seen flying around are males. The male ground bee does not have a stinger and cannot hurt anyone. Normally, if you don't have an infestation of ground bees in your lawn or garden, it's best to leave the nests alone. These bees pollinate fruits, vegetables and flowers, as well as aerate the soil with their burrows.
Organic Pest Control for Ground Bees Methods
One of the easiest methods for removing ground bees from your property is simply to wash the nests away with a garden hose. It's best to spray the nests directly with a spray nozzle attachment as opposed to using a lawn sprinkler. It is important not to stand too closely to the nest as you are spraying it with water. Some angry bees may emerge and sting you or anyone else that may be nearby. Here are some other tips when using a garden hose to get rid of ground bees:
- Always wear long pants and sleeves
- Don't forget to cover your feet with shoes or boots and not sandals.
- Wear gloves
- Wear a hat
If you don't want to take the risk of getting stung, try using soaker hoses. The water from these hoses will soak the ground, effectively ridding your lawn and garden of ground bee nests. Using a traditional sprinkler will take far more time and use more water.
Enrich Your Soil
Use Diatomaceous earth to enrich your garden soil. Diatomaceous earth is a chalky substance that originates from shells and fossilized algae. When Diatomaceous earth is added to your garden soil, not only does it enrich the soil but it helps to deter insects like ground bees, slugs and grubs from making homes in your garden.
Eggshells
The next time you use eggs in the kitchen, save the shells to use as organic pest control for ground bees. How many you will need depends upon the area in which you are covering. Simply crush the shells and spread them around the areas where you see ground bee burrows. The shells attract various types of birds and wind up feeding on ground bees and their larvae. Use this method only if your plants are already established. If you attract birds while your plants are still seedlings, then they may wind up eating the seedlings. The same goes for using this method in your lawn, do it before or after you plant grass seed.
Garlic Plants
Most insects hate the strong smell of garlic and will avoid going near it, much less nesting by it. Plant garlic bulbs or garlic chives in and around your garden to help prevent ground bees from making their nests there.
Create a Natural Habitat
Bees of all kinds pollinate plants and are extremely important to agriculture and the ecosystem. A study conducted by Cornell University estimates the real value of bee pollination in United States Agriculture is roughly $15 billion. So, instead of killing the bees in your garden, create a natural habitat for them to gravitate toward. The area does not have to be fancy or labor intensive.
Here are some shrubs, bushes and flowers you can plant that will naturally attract bees toward them and away from your garden:
- Blackberry bush
- Raspberry bush
- Dogwood
- Alfalfa
- Hollyhock
- Impatiens
- Daisy
- Calendula
- Chrysanthemum
- Purple Coneflower
- Marjoram
- Mint
- Sunflower
- Forget-Me-Not
- Evening Primrose
Simply set aside an area near (but not too near) your garden to plant shrubs, herbs and flowers that attract bees and you'll be creating a natural habitat for these agriculturally friendly insects. A final word of advice is to make sure to plant this natural bee habitat away from heavily trafficked areas such as decks, patios, pools and play sets.
