Bees are attracted to light and move away from darkness and shadows. If a bee enters your room and buzzes against the inside of the window trying to get back out into the sunny day, and if you have access to the outside of the window, here is a sure-fire method for removing the bee without hurting it.
- Turn off all the lights in your room. The window should be the brightest source of light.
- Grab a newspaper, sheet of black paper, a large book or something else opaque but easily held. Bigger is better.
- Hold the paper against the outside of the window in front of the bee.
- The bee will fly out of the dark area and towards a lighter spot, usually still buzzing against the window. Sometimes he’ll fly into the room, but don’t worry, he’ll be back at the window in a moment…
- Guide the bee towards the opening of the window by moving the dark spot closer and closer to the open edge.
- When the bee escapes, block the window opening with the dark sheet to ensure the bee flies away and not back in.
Alternately, if you don’t have access to the outside of the window, you can hold the paper behind the bee to block the light from the room and slowly slide the paper (and the bee) towards the window opening, but this method isn’t as reliable. For advanced bee removal from the inside, hold the paper between the bee and the window, but this puts you rather close to the stinging end of Mr Buzz.
Posted by kuri at May 15, 2006 02:54 PMHow about rolling up that dark sheet of paper and squashing the bee.. better yet, take off your slipper and swat it…
Not very zen of me I know….
Posted by: T on May 15, 2006 06:16 PMNo, no. I won’t kill insects. Bees and ants are my friends. Even gokiburi get captured and released. As a consequence of all my misdeeds I’m sure to be reborn as a bug, so I try to be compassionate towards them in this life. Except mosquitoes - towards them I show no mercy.
Posted by: Kristen on May 15, 2006 06:20 PMNifty trick. If I can keep from freaking out the next time Mr. Buzz enters the house, I’ll try it!
Posted by: JHK on May 16, 2006 04:29 AMI save most insects too but I have no mercy for gokiburi…if they are what I think they are.
Posted by: Lenora on May 16, 2006 06:39 AMI have removed dozens of bees and wasps from my home by encouraging them to climb onto my finger and carrying them to the door. They have never stung me. Give it a try.
Posted by: Robert Vaughn on May 29, 2006 12:16 AMI need to remove bees from my terrace. They are swarming around a deck box right outside my window. I live on the 11th floor and have a 40’ balcony. I can’t go out and water my plants. I don’t know why all of sudden after 10 years, something is attracting them to this box. I guess my biggest problem is that I don’t want to kill these guys,just have them leave…
AND I want to see what they are attracted too, but don’t want to get stung. Any suggestions would be appreciated.