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Reasons Bees Are Attracted to Windows
The Bees Are Searching For Shade
Bees search for safe places to build hives before spring. They prefer shaded areas and will be drawn to your window if it appears comfortable and shady. Although bees can adapt to many situations, they function best with the right amount of shade and sunlight. Areas that offer too much heat or cold are not ideal for bees. When sunlight invades a bee’s hive, it stimulates them to get to work. So, too much heat will make the bees work harder to keep the hive comfortable. In addition, they may become disorganized and disperse if they get too much sunlight.Bees Are Attracted to Light
Bees are attracted to light. If your window reflects the sunlight, it could be why the bees are coming around. This directional response to light is called phototaxis. Phototaxis is a common phenomenon in many social insects. Some insects exhibit negative phototaxis, moving away from a light source. Bees, however, show a positive phototaxis and move towards light sources, such as a window reflecting sunlight. Naturally, phototactic response benefits bees in many ways. Phototactic response helps bees identify food sources while foraging. Bees also use light sources to trace their route back to their hives.Bees Are Attracted to Colors and Scents
Bees also love bright colors and scents. Although you’d rarely find a colored window, if you have colorful flowers around your windows, it could draw some bees. The appeal will increase if the flowers are scented. So, what’s the deal between bees and colors or scents? Flowers produce nectar which attracts pollinating insects such as bees. These flowers have colors and fresh, floral scents. Bees also have sharp vision to help them locate food-bearing flowers. Interestingly, they can detect colors better and faster than humans. Violet colors attract more bees than any other color. So, whether you have a floral air freshener or a bud vase on your windowsill, bees will come if they think there’s food to gain near your window.How To Keep Bees Away From Your Window
The menace of bees can be uncomfortable, but it’s also easy to get rid of them. The simple solution is to remove every bee attraction around your window. However, factors like shaded view or sunlight are beyond your control. Not to worry, though. I have many practical solutions for you. You can keep bees away from your window using the following methods:- Remove plants that attract bees. I’ve already mentioned that bees love nectar-rich brightly-colored flowers. Take them off your windowsill completely. If you keep them around the house, bees will still locate them and eventually enter your home.
- Remove bee nests from your area. Check around your house for bee nests. Trees and vegetation-rich regions are prone to bee occupation. You can also check crevices, vents, chimneys, and other hidden places.
- Use bee repellents. Natural bee repellents such as cucumber peels, cinnamon, and peppermints keep the bees at bay. You can also cultivate plants like basil, wormwood, and geranium. These plants release scents that bees dislike.
- Use anti-bee spray: You can make an anti-bee repellent spray using oils from peppermint or other essential oils. Mixing witch hazel (6 tablespoons or 89 ml) and 5 to 10 drops of peppermint and tea tree oils into a spray bottle should do the trick.
- Alternatively, if you don’t have the time to make these homemade solutions, you can buy an anti-bee spray from a pest control store. I recommend this Fischer’s Bee Repellent (available on Amazon.com). It’s a purely organic, non-toxic, highly effective solution for controlling bees.
Should You Kill Bees?
You shouldn’t kill bees unless necessary. Bees are the best plant pollinators in the world. Therefore, bees are an essential part of the ecosystem and vital to the survival of numerous plant species. Killing bees might sound like a permanent solution, but as we’ve seen, it’s a bad idea. We need them to prevent our plants from going extinct. Also, bees are economic insects. They store honey in their nests, an essential agricultural product and a source of income for many families. So, killing bees would affect food production and deprive some farmers of valuable revenue.Other Areas of the House Prone to Bee Invasion
Apart from your window, bees can invade your house via other parts. So, you will also need to check these areas for signs of bee invasion and apply control solutions to keep your home free from bees. The most popular areas where bees like to gather are:- Chimneys
- Bathroom vents
- Attic vents
- Wall gaps and cracks
