How to Keep Bees Away from the Pool | 12 Foolproof Methods

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With the summer months around, it is expected that everyone will want to make the most out of their pools. If you are one of those people, the last thing you want is to witness dead bees floating on the surface of the pool water when you dive into it.

Surprisingly, bees infiltrating the area of the pool are a lot more common than you think. Most people complain about it without even realizing that there are a lot of things you can do to eliminate the issue in no time.

This article will explore some of the best ways to keep bees away from the pool and have a happy swimming experience.

Also read: How to Get Rid of Sweat Bees | Try These 8 Methods

How do I Identify Bees Near the Pool?

Bees have a habit of being next to a water source, with their feet planted on some solid surface while they get their fix of hydration.

When it comes to the bees that you are noticing around your pool, there are a few different varieties worth considering:

  • Honey bee
  • Bumble bee
  • Wasp
  • Hornet

The best way to identify a bee near or around your pool is by closely looking at the texture of the bee’s body. In most cases, you should find fuzz all over the insect’s body, indicating that it’s most likely a bee.

Also, if you notice the bee “drowning”, avoid using your bare hands to pull them out or rescue them. Since the bees are already in a state of stress and panic, there is a high chance that they will end up stinging you in the process.

What Attracts Bees to the Pool in my Home?

Bees are present naturally around us. But why are they suddenly attracted to the pool? This is a very common question that people have.

What’s unique about bees is that while they have sharp eyesight to spot flowers, they can’t distinguish water well. They use smell to distinguish or detect water in their surroundings.

Since pool water is generally chlorinated, it has a slightly pungent smell, which is exactly what the bees use to detect the water and land on. Since you can’t prevent the bees from lingering around your home’s pool, your next alternative is to find ways to keep them out of the pool after they land.

Ways to Keep Bees Away from the Pool

1. Use Mothballs

Napthalene Balls

The strong smell of the mothball is something the bees aren’t the biggest fans of.

Not just bees, even wasps aren’t fond of the smell of mothballs, so using them around the pool is a great way to keep them out of the pool. You can take a pouch made with a breathable fabric, fill it with mothballs, and hang it near the pool.

You can keep changing the pouch or refill it now and then when the mothballs are over in the pouch.

2. Avoid Floral Fragrances

Floral Fragrances Rose
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/perfume-fragrance-rose-3220296/

If you aren’t aware, bees are attracted to floral fragrances. So, avoid planting strong-scented flowers around the pool.

Besides that, avoid wearing creams or sprays with a heavy floral scent to them. That’s where things take a turn for the worse. If you are around the pool, avoid using hair spray or perfumes that have a pungent, floral smell because that might end up attracting more bees to your close vicinity.

3. Create a diversion

If the bees are using your pool for hydration, you can create a diversion for them. To do that, place a separate bowl with drinking water away from the pool.

You can set up a shallow bird bath or a fountain in the local area. If you don’t have the budget for the entire extravaganza, go ahead and place a simple shallow dish filled with water, and you are good to go.

4. Use Bee-Repelling Plants

Wormwood
Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wormwood_shoots.jpg

Much like how you need to keep floral plants and scents away, you can use bee-repelling plants for the same motive.

Some of the most effective bee-repelling plants include wormwood, citronella, mint, thyme, etc. So, you can plant these in the flower bed or garden near your pool area. The strong scent from these plants should be effective in keeping the bees away.

If you are looking for a natural way to keep bees away from the pool, this technique works well.

5. Use Dryer Sheets

Dryer Sheets

Although unique and different, dryer sheets can help you in multiple ways. For those who aren’t aware, dryer sheets are small, white-colored sheets that people use in the dryer to remove static from the clothes and make the clothes softer too.

Now, how do these dryer sheets help repel bees away from the pool? The dryer sheets have a strong scent, which the bees aren’t the biggest fans of. Hang a few along the perimeter of the pool and let it do its job.

6. Avoid Bright Colors Around the Pool

Pool Bright Color Baloons
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/balloons-colorful-swimming-pool-1761634/

As we mentioned before, bees don’t have the best eyesight, so they use their sense of smell to detect water. But bees have a great perception when it comes to vibrant colors.

If you have vibrant and bright-colored pool furniture, that’s another reason bees are attracted to your pool. Get rid of these bright-colored fabrics or items near the pool and switch to items with muted or neutral colors.

7. Keep the Food Covered

Dinner Tray
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/vectors/tray-dinner-tray-dinner-metal-155561/

Food sources could be another reason bees are attracted to the pool. If you notice it is happening quite frequently, we suggest using a covered area to keep the food and drinks.

It doesn’t matter what kind of foods you are dealing with; we’d 100% recommend that you keep them away and not out in the open when the bees can have a feast. One great piece of advice is to use covered trolleys and ice packs to keep the food covered and fresh.

8. Create Water Flow

Swimming Pool
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/swimming-pool-summer-holiday-relax-3652691/

This might not be everyone’s favorite thing to do, but it works wonders. While it is true that bees are attracted to the water due to the pungent chlorine scent, you need to realize that the stillness of the pool water is also a reason why the bees are navigating toward the pool.

One fantastic way to deter that is by creating a water flow. Bees aren’t the best swimmers, meaning they are less likely to hang around areas with moving water. You can install jets inside the pool and keep it switched on when you aren’t using the pool.

9. Cover the pool

Pool Cover

The most obvious and effective way to keep bees away from the pool is by covering it. You can either cover it with a tarp or a pool cover that you have installed manually. The choice is entirely yours to make.

Once you cover the pool, it takes away the source of hydration for the bees, which means that they are less likely to pay a visit.

10. Use Essential Oils

Essential Oils
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/essential-oils-flower-aromatherapy-3084952/

If you don’t have a garden space or flower beds around your pool, another easy alternative is to use essential oils.

Some of the most effective options that work well are lavender and peppermint oil. You can combine these essential oils, dilute them or directly spray them along the perimeter of the pool. The pungent scent from the oils should keep the bees away.

11. Look Around for Nests

Bee Hive
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/bee-hive-bee-palm-nest-tropical-2827583/

If a bee or group of bees frequent the area around your pool, it typically means that they have a nest built somewhere around the pool. The nest might be inside the pool when it was dry.

So, if you are tired of the bees infiltrating the areas in your pool, we suggest that you scope the surrounding areas for the potential presence of the nests. Check around the fence, garden area, or even the roof around the patio.

12. Use Fake Wasp Nests

Fake Wasp Nests

Another way to deter bees away from your pool is by using a fake wasp nest. Not just bees, they work equally well to keep the wasps away from your pool.

What’s great about these fake nests is the realism. They look like an actual bee nest, which means that hanging them around the trees and branches around the pool will divert the attention of the bees away from the pool.

That’s all you need to know about how to keep bees away from the pool. We have curated the list with a variety of natural and easy DIY remedies that genuinely work. You can try one or multiple of these hacks and see which one offers long-lasting and effective results.

Also read: How to Get Rid of Bees | 8 Remedies that Work

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What smells do bees hate?

Bees aren’t the biggest fans of strong scents from essential oils. So, scents like lavender oil, citronella oil, vegetable or lemon oil, etc., are some options you can try.

Why are bees hanging around my pool?

Like any other living creature, even bees need hydration, especially during the peak summer months. So, that’s most likely why they are chilling around your pool.

What naturally makes bees go away?

If you want to avoid using professional help or chemicals, some of the natural bee deterrents are neem, mint, citronella, cloves, eucalyptus, etc.

How do you chase bees away?

The vinegar hack is one of the best ways to keep bees away from your pool. You need to get a few bottles of distilled white vinegar and place the bottles around the pool. The scent should deter the bees.

What colors keep bees away?

Bees aren’t attracted to bland colors like white and beige. This is one of the reasons beekeepers wear white suits while handling them. On the other hand, bees are often attracted to bright colors like orange, yellow, red, etc.

What can I spray around my pool for bees?

Using a mix of soap and water and spraying it around the pool is an effective way to keep the bees away from the perimeter of the pool. Use dishwashing soap for best results.

Will cinnamon keep bees away?

Much like citrus, even the smell of cinnamon acts as a bee deterrent. So, sprinkling some cinnamon or growing the same around the pool is a great way to keep the bees away from the pool.

Why shouldn’t you hide from bees in water?

If you plunge into the water to hide from the bees, be assured that they are waiting for you to come to the water’s surface to sting. So, take shelter somewhere else.

What is the quickest way to get rid of bees?

The bee repellent sprays are potentially the fastest way to eliminate the bees from around the pool. They are readily available in the market.

How do you force bees to leave?

If you have a swarm of bees around the pool, using smoke is an effective way to make them fly away in flocks.

By James Edwards

James Edwards is a writer & editor with almost 15 years of experience from Murphys, California. He earned his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University.

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