Did you know meat bees feed on other insects hence their name? While they may be beneficial in some instances, most often than not, they usually end up being more of a pain. This is due to their aggressive and territorial behavior. Not to mention the risk of getting a when you run into a swarm of the bees.
How to Get Rid of Meat Bees
Fortunately, getting rid of meat bees is as easy. You need to follow a few simple steps, and you will be good to go. For starters, you may want to try using bug spray to kill the bees and force them to leave their nest. Look for a highly concentrated bug spray that is designed to penetrate their somewhat hard outer shell.
Alternatively, you can look for a more specialized product to get rid of the meat bees. A meat bee repellent will cause the bees to become repelled and abandon their nest. You can also use a meat bee trap to catch the bees and release them in the wild.
How to Treat a Meat Bee Sting
If you are allergic to bees, then you need to seek medical attention when you get stung by a meat bee. Its venom is similar to that of a bee. So the effects will be the same. Alternatively, if you keep an EpiPen on hand, you can use that to counter the effects of the bee venom. But only if you are allergic to bees.
Here are some natural methods of handling meat bee sting;
- First and foremost, use a credit card or your fingernails to try and dislodge the stinger from your skin. The process should be similar to removing a splinter. This will reduce the amount of toxin released into your skin.
- Use ice cubes to reduce swelling and to prevent venom absorption.
- You can also wash the stung area with soap and water to remove the venom from the skin and try to deactivate the rest of the toxin in the meat bee bite.
- Apply honey on the sting and cover it with a bandage for up to an hour this will help relieve the pain, reduce itching, as well as speed up the healing process.
- You can also apply a paste made from baking soda and water to neutralize the bee venom. Leave it on for 15minutes and re-apply as needed.
- Use apple cider vinegar to neutralize the bee venom. Soak a piece of cloth or bandage and leave it on the sting for at least 15 minutes.
- You can also use aloe Vera gel, lavender or tea tree essential oil, calendula cream, or witch-hazel to reduce inflammation of the sting.
- Use crushed aspirin mixed with water to reduce inflammation.
If these methods do not work, take an antihistamine or pain medication to relieve the swelling and counter the bee venom. You can also apply hydrocortisone cream to the stung area.
To reduce bee colonization of your yard, avoid leaving out food in your trash that the bees can eat. This will force them to look for food elsewhere. Ultimately causing them to relocate. You can also spray their nest with insecticide forcing them to abandon it and move to a new nest elsewhere.