What To Do If You Find Bees In Your Birdhouse

If you've invested in a few highly-rated birdhouses in hopes of attracting more feathered friends to your yard, it can be disappointing to find those houses sheltering other critters instead. In some cases, it may even be a bit alarming, such as when a swarm of bees makes its home in your birdhouse. Your first instinct upon noticing such an issue might be to remove the bees — after all, they're taking up valuable real estate. However, given the numerous benefits bees provide to the environment, it may be in you and your yard's best interest to let the insects stick around for a while.

There are multiple species of beneficial bees you want in your garden, and one that's most likely to take up residence in your birdhouses is the bumblebee. Bumblebees are mostly harmless to humans; they are generally not aggressive unless provoked, and like other bees, are excellent pollinators. Pollination is a vital part of a plant's fertilization process, so having bees on your property can lead to a healthier garden. Another reason why it's usually fine to allow bumblebees to live in your birdhouses is that they have a short life cycle, so if you first noticed the bugs in spring, they'll probably be gone by the time fall rolls around.

Instead of trying to move a beehive out of its new home, simply take note of its location and be careful not to disturb it. Trying to move the bees, either by trying to break up the nest or relocate it, can cause the bugs to become aggressive, increasing the likelihood of someone getting stung. Even if you see an entire swarm of bees in your yard, the best advice is to leave them alone.

As helpful as a colony of local bees can be, it can be necessary to remove the nest in some situations. For instance, if someone in your household is allergic to bees, or the nest is close to somewhere that's going to see a lot of activity, it's best to call your local pest control to get rid of the hive.

If you'd rather not have to deal with the potential of bee stings, you can prevent bees from moving into your birdhouses by keeping the shelters clean and free of debris when they're not in use. To make it even more difficult for bees to establish a colony, rub plain bar soap over the interior of your birdhouses. The bees will skip the slick surfaces, so they will hopefully set up in a more bee-friendly and out of the way location.