Bees are classic farm animals. They pollinate flowers and blossoms on fruit trees, provide honey and much more. They usually leave us humans alone if we don't hit them. However, a small colony of bees in the flower pot is not necessarily desirable.
Bees in the flower pot must not be killed
Bees in balcony boxes or flower pots
It happens now and then that bees build a nest near people, for example in a flower pot or window box. At first this is not noticeable. Only when bees regularly fly in and out of a hole do you become aware.
Bees do not normally attack humans, but be careful when children are around.
As a rule, the uninvited guests are wild bees, mostly sand or ground bees. Both species are protected and must not be killed.
What do earth or sand bees look like?
Since the subspecies all look very similar, only experts can usually tell them apart. General features are:
- the animals are 5 to 16 mm long
- they are black or black-red in color
- they are furry
- they have stripes on their abdomens
- only females have a stinger, which usually cannot penetrate human skin
drive away bees
Bees are easy to get rid of with home remedies. Aggressive chemical agents are not allowed because bees are under nature protection. If they disturb you in the flower pot, you can successfully drive them away.
Since these are mostly sand bees, it is best to put the flower pots in the shade. Sand bees need a lot of sun to raise their offspring and will avoid a shady spot. A place that is too humid is also unacceptable for the sand bee. It therefore helps to keep the potted plants well moist at all times.
Smoke from coffee grounds has also proven effective in persuading sand bees to move. Regularly light some dry coffee grounds on a plate next to the bees' dwellings, they drive away uninvited guests.
Another good alternative is planting basil between the balcony plants or placing basil pots next to the flower containers. The intense scent of the herb scares away the bees.