How To Keep Bees Away From Food & What Attracts Them To Food?

Last Updated on October 13, 2023

Food and beverages quickly attract insects. This is especially true when it comes to flying insects like bees.

Keeping bees away from food could be challenging. They can come out of nowhere, sit on your food and spoil everything without you ever wanting anything like that to happen.

Since they carry countless germs, having them on your food means these germs blend in, causing all the unsanitary in the world.

So if you haven’t already, learning how to keep bees away from food is important and that’s exactly what we’re going to learn in this blog post.

We will also explore the reasons behind what attracts them to food, enabling us to minimize those factors and reduce their presence to our food next time.

Let’s begin!

How To Keep Bees Away From Food & What Attracts Them To Food?

Let’s divide this post into two parts for simplification. We will first look for the elements that attract them to our food before educating ourselves on how to keep bees away from food.

What attracts bees to food and drinks?

A large number of insects tend to be attracted to food items.

Insects like to jump on our food, regardless of whether they are inside or outside.

Bees, just like any other insects, enjoy dining with us.

Here are some essential reasons why food and drink attract bees.

1. They require salt
2. Sweet is also one of their favorites
3. Alcoholic beverages
4. What about salt water
5. How about drinking water

They require salt

Bees require salt and minerals to survive.

More specifically, sodium and potassium are necessary for their body to function normally.

They also need salt for the reproduction process.

However, they are not drawn to salt itself but rather its components.

Sweet is also one of their favorites

Bees need energy to exist because they are a living creature.

Sweet foods are rich in carbohydrates, which provide the bees with a source of fuel and help in reproduction.

This is precisely why you can find them on cakes, soda, juices, and even a small piece of any sweet food in general.

Alcoholic beverages

You might be wondering how alcohol might lure bees.

The first explanation is the sugar surplus as we previously mentioned; it is their main source of energy.

The presence of ethanol in alcohol is the second and most interesting factor! Bees can convert ethanol into energy.

In simple terms, it is the sugar, especially the ethanol, that attracts these bees.

What about salt water

It certainly does!

And the salt water’s minerals and sodium are entirely to blame for it!

How about drinking water

Not really!

Try doing an experiment by leaving a glass of water exposed for a set period of time. The outcome will demonstrate that there aren’t many bees in the area.

Even the minerals in the water don’t attract them.

They are attracted to the salt because of its high mineral content.

How to keep bees away from food and drink?

Now that we are aware of some of the factors that contribute to their attraction, let’s now learn learn how to keep bees away from food.

1. Watch, eat, stay clean
2. Indoor dining
3. Consume under a fan
4. Keep your table clean
5. Make use of peppermint
6. Don’t let food uncover
7. Use a bee trap

Watch, eat, stay clean

When watching late-night shows, it is hard to skip the temptation of snacks!

However, during this enjoyable time, you spill the food pieces onto your couch or the floor.

Bees can take advantage of such simple errors. Because even a small piece of food or drink can attract them to our meals so make sure you’re feeding yourself and not the insects.

Be mindful of your surroundings and keep your eating area clean!

Indoor dining

Eating inside is the best way of avoiding bee interference.

When you eat outside, bees and insects may buzz around you, and some small ones may sneak into your food as well.

Therefore, it is an excellent decision to have all your meals inside in a close environment.

Consume under a fan

A fan can effectively help to blow these bees away.

It is expected to have at least one ceiling fan in your dining area, so turn it on so you can eat your dinner peacefully.

Keep your table clean

It is important to keep the environment where you eat clean.

Bees and other insects may come quickly if any food particle or tiny drink splash is in the eating area.

So please ensure the table is clean before and after the meal, particularly after dinner. Because if you leave the table dirty all night, you will find lots of insects sitting there in the morning before you!

Make use of peppermint

Peppermint is effective for keeping bees away from you because of its strong smell, which most bees don’t like.

Planting a small peppermint in your dining area may help keep these bees away.

Mint oil can also be utilized in a little jar on the table you eat.

Don’t let food uncover

Sometimes, even though your meal is prepared, you are not quite ready to have it yet.

In that case, bees can take advantage of your absence and jump onto your food if it’s not covered. So, if you are not going to consume your foods and liquids immediately, make sure you completely cover them.

Use a bee trap

The bee trap is extremely useful for indoor use, particularly near your eating area.

Get at least one and place it near the area where you plan to eat.

What attracts sweat bees towards us?

If you’re worried about sweat bees, you should know that humans are their main attraction, thanks to our mineral content. That’s also the reason they are called ‘sweat bees!’

Salt’s mineral content also attracts them, as mentioned earlier.

How to keep bees away during BBQ?

Since BBQs are usually arranged outdoors or sometimes semi-outdoors, around the pool area, you have to be a little clever to fight these bees, as they are even more active in outdoor areas and are also found in large numbers.

You can use some of the following tips to keep them away from your BBQ party:

• Use a powerful stand fan to keep them away
• Put mint oil in water and place it in a container
• Keep the surroundings clean
• Keep flowers like rose and daisies
• Use a large and powerful outdoor bee trap

The bottom line

To keep bees and other insects at bay, proper hygiene is necessary.

Because they, too, are living beings, they search for sweet and salty foods in order to survive.

If you cover the food, clean the eating space, and eat without spilling food or liquid splashes on the table or floor, you will be in a much better position to keep these bees away from your food and surroundings.