Sweat bees are small, often metallic-colored insects that are common pollinators. They are distinctively drawn to human perspiration, which is how they earned their common name. Their primary attraction to pools is the moisture and mineral content the water provides, especially in warm, dry weather. This article details practical, non-lethal strategies for pool owners to safely deter sweat bees from their swimming areas.
Understanding Why Sweat Bees Are Attracted to Pools
Sweat bees are attracted to pools primarily because of their biological need for water and salt. Like many insects, they require sodium and other minerals for metabolic processes and to support their developing larvae. Water is also crucial for hydration and hive maintenance, as bees use it to regulate the temperature inside their nests during hot summer months. While chlorine pools attract them as an easy water source, saltwater pools are particularly appealing due to their high mineral content. Their acute sense of taste, which is highly sensitive to salt, allows them to detect minerals in the water without landing.
Immediate Water Surface and Scent Deterrents
A direct method for deterring sweat bees involves altering the immediate pool environment and introducing strong, repelling scents. Essential oils with potent fragrances are often effective because bees dislike them. A mixture of water and peppermint, eucalyptus, or spearmint essential oil can be sprayed around the pool deck and perimeter. These strong, natural compounds disrupt the bees’ ability to navigate and locate the water source.
Creating an alternative water source can immediately divert the bees’ attention away from the pool. Set up a shallow dish or bird bath with water a significant distance from the swimming area. To make this alternative more attractive than the pool, consider adding a small amount of salt or minerals to the water. Once the bees establish this new, preferred source, they will consistently return to it, leaving the pool area undisturbed.
Disrupting the water surface makes the pool less appealing for drinking. Bees prefer calm water where they can safely land to collect moisture without getting their feet wet. Implementing water features that create movement, such as small fountains or jets, makes the pool surface less stable for landing. Additionally, ensure all sweet beverages and food are covered and removed from the immediate poolside area to eliminate another major insect attractant.
Modifying the Surrounding Landscape
Long-term deterrence requires addressing the bees’ nesting sites and foraging habits in the surrounding landscape. Sweat bees are ground-nesting insects that prefer bare, dry, and well-drained soil, often in sunny, undisturbed areas. They dig tiny tunnels, and their nests may appear as small mounds of dirt in lawns, gardens, or along cracks in pavement.
To discourage nesting, minimize exposed ground surfaces in the yard, especially in sunlit areas. Cover patches of bare soil with thick layers of mulch, dense ground cover plants, or gravel. Thick materials like wood chips or landscape fabric create an impenetrable barrier that prevents the bees from excavating their nests.
Planting certain types of strong-smelling herbs and flowers away from the pool area can act as a natural boundary. Bees are repelled by the strong fragrance of plants like spearmint, thyme, and eucalyptus. Positioning these plants in pots near where the bees are most active can help deter them from approaching the pool area. Conversely, moving highly attractive, bee-friendly flowering plants to a distant corner of the yard encourages foraging away from the swimming area.