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bees, deter, Please need suggestions!
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Posted by poolproblmes CA (My Page) on Tue, Mar 13, 07 at 21:59
| OK.. I need the experts. For the last 13 years, my neighbor had 3 large hives on our property line. The bees lived in my pool, about 50 a day, give or take. I am highly allergic and require IV treatment if I am stung. After having children, I asked the neighbor to get rid of them due to the serious health risks and the violation of the city ordinance. One of my children is also highly allergic and requires an epipen at all times. The bees were crazy... over a ten day period last summer, we had ten stings. (Different family members and visiting friends) I stopped inviting friends over because the bees would dive bomb he backyard. Needless to say, the bees and us are not getting along well. The neighbor got rid of them (after hospitalizing my son and the babysitter...and $350. vet bill) last October.
Swim season is coming and I was hoping for minimal bees. It's better but it looks like we still have quite a few from surrounding areas. Is there a spray I could put on the plants as a deterrent? I don't want to kill them.. I just can't have them around us in large quantity any more. I am going to get sued because of all the medical bills...
I have some rosemary plant that I am going to dig up... They seem to love it...but I would hate to dig up al lthe plants.
Suggestions? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: bees, deter, Please need suggestions!
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| One pool owner that I know of - has a small stream of fresh water that is situated some distance from their pool. This seems to be working well. As the pool in all likelihood contains chlorine, the bees would rather have fresh water anyway - thus, they are detracted away to the fresh stream. It's true, some flowers are preferred over others by bees. Perhaps eliminating flowering types around the pool might reduce their numbers as well. I don't have a swimming pool, but do have a small fountain and bird bath that I keep fresh water in. From time to time, I also allow the hose to drip on the plants that I want watered anyway (berry bushes, trees, etc.). This seems to help keep my bees at home. I also prefer that they not go elsewhere to pick up stagnant water from mops, dirty puddles, etc., which will contaminate the honey stores. Just my 2 c's. Bejay |
RE: bees, deter, Please need suggestions!
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| Half barrels of water with some water plants are a good option. The bees are there for water. They like the taste of water that has something in it, like clorine or pond water. They are very smell orinted. I can send you some small water lillies that will grow well in a barrel water garden if you like. Honey bees really are not likely to sting unless you are near the hive or they are squished when they get in your hair or something while swimming. They care nothing about humans or pets that are not near the hive. If something is dive bombing you it is likely wasps or yellow jackets with a nest nearby, not honey bees. In California, you will always have bees, wasps, yellow jackets, hornets, fire ants and a variety of other stinging pests around. It's the nature of the climate. Moving the bee hives likely had little impact on anything other than the bees watering in the pool. The little swimmers can be aggrevating but an alternative water source with something attractive should help alot. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Beesource Forums
RE: bees and flowering plants
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| And bees feeding on your flowers should not be a problem. Mine ignor rosemary in favor of other things. Single plants are seldom attractive to bees as they need a rather large forage base. |
RE: bees, deter, Please need suggestions!
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| lose the pool. in thinking the problem was the neighbor's bees the beek was forced to lose his apiary. it's now apparent that the problem was not those hives but the fact that your area has stinging insects in it that are attracted to your pool. these insects could be in the surroundig three mile area. it's not worth losing all those pollinators for a swimming pool. hospitalizing the babysitter and taking the dog to the vet are over reacting. as an example the odds state that a person in the u.s.a is more likely to be struck by lightning than killed by a bee sting. if your concerned with being sued losing the pool is a good choice. think of the possible falls, sun burnings and potential drownings. they make a typical insect sting pale in comparison. |
RE: bees, deter, Please need suggestions!
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Having a few hives myself I now know allot more about them.
I found out that honey bees prefer foraging far away from hives, so
it looks like most of the bees in your yard wasn't the neighbours bees.
If you and some of your members are this highly allergic, perhaps then you
should not use the pool, or only use it when getting dark, you can light up the area.
With flowers, I'm not sure what kind of spray would be effective,
you could experiment with some first, if nothing helps, then not planting any would be next.
Konrad |
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