• Bees can not only be annoying, they can be dangerous additions to your garden if someone in your family is allergic to bee stings. There are several ways to either prevent or get rid of bees in your yard without having to use potentially harmful pesticides. Any time you are planning to take aggressive action against bees, be sure to cover as much of your body as possible and use extreme caution to avoid getting stung. The best time to act against bees is during the evening, when bees tend to rest.

• The best way to avoid bee infestations is to take steps to prevent them from ever occurring. You can do so by:

1. Keeping your garden tidy and not allowing garden waste to pile up
2. Painting any wood on or around your house. Bees are attracted to untreated wood, so covering wood with stain or paint will deter them from nesting in your wood
3. Plugging up any holes in your house, garage, or fence where bees could potentially nest
4. Getting rid of hummingbird feeders. The sweet nectar or sugar water that attracts hummingbirds to your feeder will also attract bees
5. Keeping your garden free of plants that attract bees (see the Lure Them Away section for a list of these plants)

• The safest and one of the most effective ways to get rid of bees is to hire a professional beekeeper, who will collect the bees and transfer them to another location.

• There are several plants that bees seem to be particularly attracted to. If you have a large yard, place some of the following plants in areas further away from your house to attract them away from high-traffic areas. Conversely, if you have some of these species in your yard and are not adverse to losing them, consider removing them from your garden.

1. Lantana
2. Daisies
3. Roses
4. Coreopsis
5. Yarrow
6. Sunflowers
7. Blackberry and raspberry bushes
8. Dogwood trees
9. Hollyhock
10. Impatiens
11. Chrysanthemums
12. Mint
13. Calendula
14. Forget-me-nots

• Although they will not get rid of the bees entirely, the use of certain natural oils may help repel bees from certain areas. Research has shown that bees tend to stay away from bitter orange and tea tree oils. Like most insects, bees also tend to dislike garlic, so consider planting garlic bulbs in or around your garden to help repel bees and discourage them from nesting there.

• You may be able to kill the bees in your yard by spraying them with a natural pesticide. Combine the following ingredients in a spray bottle:

1. A quart of water
2. A tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil

After being doused with this mixture, the bees will be weighed down or suffocated by the oil and will therefore die. This method should be used with extreme caution and should not be used on large swarms, as you could potentially be attacked.