It’s often by accident that we find ourselves being chased by a bee or wasp; usually it’s because they mistake us for a flower. Bees pollinate the flowers, and wasps and spiders dine on the bees and other insects that are attracted to flowers.
To avoid close encounters with these garden insects:
- Avoid wearing pink, red, or yellow “flowered colored” clothing in the yard. Stick to blue, green, and neutral colors like gray, and tan when doing yard work.
- Avoid using flowery scented perfumes, soap, or shampoo when working in the landscape.
- Work in the early hours of the morning or late evening when cooler temperatures make these cold blooded insects less active
- If you see a bee or wasp approaching, walk slowly away from it. Running or swatting it could trigger an attack.
- If a wasp nest or beehive is problematic, call a professional bee keeper to remove a hive, because many species of bees are threatened. Either call an exterminator to spray a wasp’s nest, or spray in the early morning or late evening. Repeat the spraying daily, and wait to remove the nest until you see no more wasps returning to it.