Bees are an important part of the ecosystem. They pollinate plants, which makes it possible for us to enjoy delicious fruits, nuts and vegetables every day. However, bees can also be a nuisance if they’re trying to get at your food! If you’ve ever had a picnic ruined by bees or other insects looking for something sweet on your plate, this guide will help you keep them away from future picnics with easy tips.
Avoid wearing bright clothing
Bees are attracted to yellow and white, so avoid these colors if you want to avoid your next picnic from being swarmed by bees. They’re also less likely to be attracted to dark colors like navy blue, black and gray. This is by far the easiest way to help repel bees when dining outside.
If a bee is on your plate, slide it quietly into a glass of water
The bee will be unable to fly and will drown if it can’t get out of the glass. In fact, even if you were to use this technique while the bee was still on your fork or napkin, it would still be unable to escape once in the water (and yes, I tested it).
Avoid perfumes and fragrances to keep bees away
If you want to avoid having bees buzzing around your next picnic, avoid wearing perfume or fragrances. Bees are highly attuned to scents and can smell a flower up to 3 miles away—and they’re especially attracted to perfumes. This is one of the easiest ways for bees to track down their next meal. If you do wear perfume or fragrance, be sure not to apply it until after bee season (May through September) is over—or at least wait until all your outdoor picnics are done for the year before spraying yourself with scent again.
Don’t leave open soda cans on the picnic table
With a flock of bees around, you’re not going to want to be thinking about the carbon dioxide in your soda cans. Beer drinkers fear that their favorite beverage will attract bees, but they’re wrong: beer is actually less attractive than soda. The reason is simple: bees are attracted by carbon dioxide. When you breathe out, you exhale tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide (although it’s often referred to as “CO2”). Soda cans contain more CO2 than bottles do, so if there are any open cans on the table at your next picnic and someone forgets to drink their drink before leaving. You’ll most likely have some unwelcome guests arriving soon after!
Clean up after the meal thoroughly to not attract bees
The first thing to do is clean up after the meal thoroughly and immediately. Bees are drawn to food, so don’t leave any food on the table or in open containers (don’t worry, we’ll tell you how to dispose of them below). If there are any spills, wipe them up right away—bees love sweet liquids like soda and juice! Remember: if it’s not gone, they will come back for more.
Also keep in mind that bees aren’t just attracted by food; they’re also interested in smells associated with our eating habits. So if you have leftovers outside of your house or picnic area (such as containers), take those inside before heading outdoors. And if possible, avoid bringing any trash too close to where you’ll be picnicking—even something as innocuous as a plastic wrapper can be enough for a bee colony to stake its claim on your homestead!
Don’t swat at bees, or wave your arms around
If you see a bee, never swat at it. Bees are attracted to movement (especially the kind that means “incoming food,” like when your hand glides through the air). So if you’re sitting quietly in a field, chances are there won’t be any bees around. But even if there is one hanging out nearby, your best bet is just not to attract its attention. If you want to keep bees away from your picnic or other outdoor event, leave them alone—and don’t wave your arms around like an idiot either!
If that’s not possible and some innocent insect happens upon your picnic blanket before you’re done eating and drinking all of those delicious treats? Don’t freak out: just walk away slowly with calmness and gracefulness befitting of royalty!
Bees are attracted to sweet foods and drinks, so avoid those as much as possible
If you’re having a picnic, bees are not your friends. They’re also not your enemies. They just want to go about their business in peace and quiet and maybe eat some flowers here and there. The good news is that there are many steps you can take to make sure the picnic is bee-free.
The first step to avoiding unwanted bee encounters is to avoid all of the things that attract them: sugar, sweet scents (which they use as guides), flowers and pollen (which they need for food). To do this successfully, we recommend avoiding all of these things completely during your next gathering. You might also consider wearing perfume or cologne as well; if bees think you smell delicious enough then they might come looking for a snack!
Conclusion on preventing bees from invading your outdoor eating area
We hope that this article has given you some practical tips for keeping bees away from your next picnic. And remember, if all else fails, just remember that bees are supposed to make honey and not attack people. As long as we don’t do anything stupid like swatting at them or spraying pesticides everywhere, they should leave us alone!
