How to Get Rid of Bumble Bees in the Grass
Bumble bees are a welcome addition to most gardens and are generally very good for the environment. They pollinate flowers and are usually non-aggressive towards humans. However, underground hives can sometimes cause problems, such as a swarm of agitated bees appearing when you try to perform routine maintenance like mowing. The most effective way to get rid of bumble bees in the grass is to use poison that will be carried back to the queen. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Find the location of the hive at dawn. Bees emerge at daybreak, which is why that's the best time to hunt for the nest. Follow the bees to pinpoint the precise opening.
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Put on the work gloves and combine a cup of the dry domestic pet food with 1/2 cup grape jelly and 2 tbsp boric acid. Use your hands to form the mixture into little ping-pong sized balls.
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Throw the balls into the grass all around the opening of the hive. The bumble bees will be attracted to them and carry the food back to the nest. The boric acid should kill the queen and most of the workers within a day or two of ingestion.
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Check the nest (again at dawn) after two days. If you still see a lot of bees emerging, you will need to sprinkle the area with Delta Dust, a powdered chemical compound that can be found at garden and hardware stores.
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Put on work gloves and spread Delta Dust at night all around the grass near the hive. Use a hand-held spreader to distribute the dust, or you can do it with a plastic cup. Cover an area of about 5 feet all around the hive entrance and put some in the hole itself.
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Fill the hole in with dirt to prevent the bees from reestablishing a colony in the same spot. Survey the rest of your yard for any holes that could become an alternative nesting spot for bumble bees and fill them in as a preventative measure.
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Tips & Warnings
Bumble Bees can also build hives in cracks and gaps of a house or other property structure.
Boric acid and Delta Dust are toxic to children and domestic animals, so use these products with caution.
Wear protective clothing and be very careful when putting anything directly into the hole. That action can sometimes cause bees to panic and swarm.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit bumble bee image by Edsweb from Fotolia.com
