How to Get a Bee out of the House

Co-authored by Steve Downs

Last Updated: October 12, 2023 Fact Checked

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A bee in the house can be a source of worry, especially for children and for those with allergies. Some might be inclined to spray copious amounts of toxic insect repellent at it or swat it dead on sight. However, there are much better, nonviolent options available.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Trapping a Bee In a Container

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A clear bowl or cup is preferable, though not necessary. A plastic cup or bowl is also preferable, since its lower mass will reduce the risk of damaging your wall or window during the trapping process. You can use any regular cup or bowl you might have around your house. While a bowl allows for a wider margin of error when trapping the bee, the cup is easier to keep covered and move out once the bee has been trapped.^{[1]
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Long-sleeved shirts and pants provide maximum coverage over your body, making it less likely for you to be stung. Do not wear shorts or T-shirts when trapping a bee in a container.^{[2]
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Trap the bee within your cup or bowl. When the bee has landed on a flat, smooth surface, slowly bring the container of your choice toward the bee with one hand. When you’re within six to twelve inches of the bee, rapidly bring the container over the bee, trapping it within.^{[3]
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- Do not attempt to trap a bee which is on the carpet. The chances it will escape are too great.
4
Choose a cover for your container. You can use a wide variety of materials to cover the container which you have trapped the bee beneath. When trapping bees with a bowl, you could use a folded newspaper, a full sheet of thick paper, or a manila envelope. When trapping bees within a cup, you could use a notecard or magazine.^{[4]
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- Think about the radius of your cup or bowl’s open end and choose a cover which corresponds appropriately. Whatever you choose, it should be relatively thin.
5
Place the cover between the bee and the surface it landed on. After choosing your cover, slip it slowly between the lip of the bowl or glass you trapped the bee under and the wall or hard surface on which the bee was sitting. Starting at one edge of the container, ease it up by about one or two millimeters. Slip your magazine or notecard beneath the container and continue to push it across the surface the bee was sitting on.^{[5]
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- The bee will likely be surprised and fly about after having the container placed over it; this will make the process of easing the cover over your container that much easier.
6
Take the bee outside. With the cover safely over the container you've captured the bee in, move to an open door. Take the bee about ten paces from your home and remove the paper holding the bee in the cup or bowl you've trapped it in. Place the mouth of the cup or bowl on the ground, then slide the cover off. Ensure that it flies or crawls out and run quickly back to your home, closing the door firmly behind you before the bee can find its way back in.^{[6]
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- Don't take the bee too far away. Its hive is likely nearby and without access to it, it will surely die.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Allowing the Bee to Leave On Its Own

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1
Open the windows of your house. If your windows have screens of storm windows on them, open them as well. If you have to remove the screens, place them somewhere close by the window so they do not get misplaced or mismatched to a different window later. Raise the curtains or blinds so the bee can exit.
- If the sun has set and you have a light directly outside the window, you can turn it on and turn off the lights of the room the bee is in. When the bee leaves to hover by the light outside, close the window behind it.
2
Open the doors of your home. If you have an additional screen door which has a spring-loaded latch on it which causes it to close automatically, use the small locking latch near the hinge of the spring mechanism to hold your door open. If you have a security door, you can leave it closed, assuming there is no screen on it. If there is a screen on it, open it as well.
- If you have sliding glass doors, remove any curtains concealing them so the bee can see the world outside. When you notice it bump up against the door, carefully open it to let the bee out.
With the doors and windows open, the bee will seek a way to return to its hive and explore nearby flowers. While waiting for the bee to make its exit, keep an eye on your doors and windows to ensure birds and other wildlife do not enter. Close your windows and doors as soon as the bee leaves.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Removing Bees With Sugar Water

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1
Mix some water and sugar. Bees are attracted to sweet flavors like the nectar they obtain from flowers. By mixing up some sugar water, you can approximate a nectar-like flavor. Mix about one teaspoon of sugar with three teaspoons of water. You can mix the water and sugar in a blender or mix it by hand in a small cup. You should not need more than a cup of this mixture.^{[7]
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- Your bee might like filtered water more than tap water. Try a different quality of water if your bee is not attracted to the first sugar/water mix you concoct.
You can use any size jar, but make sure it has a lid. Your jar can be of glass or plastic, but the lid must be plastic. Old peanut butter, jam, or pasta sauce jars make good choices. Seal the jar by placing the lid on it.^{[8]
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The hole should be about the size of the diameter of your pinky finger. It is important to keep the hole small to ensure the bee can crawl in but not out of the jar.^{[9]
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Wait for the bee to enter the jar. When the bee enters the jar, it might drown in the sweet mixture. If it drowns, remove the jar from the house, take the lid off, and dump the bee and the sweet mixture into an open, grassy area at least ten paces from your house. Return to your home and wash the container.^{[10]
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If the bee is alive within the jar, take it from your home and cover the hole on the lid with your thumb or a piece of duct tape. Walk at least ten paces from your home and unscrew the lid. Unscrew the lid, but hold it partially over the opening of the jar. Carefully dump the sugar water out, ensuring the bee doesn’t get coated with the water. When you’ve dumped most of the water out, turn the jar away from you and open the lid completely. When the bee flies out, run back to your home and close the door behind you.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you get bees out of your house without killing them?

Steve Downs
Live Bee Removal Specialist
Steve Downs is a Live Honey Bee Removal Specialist, Honey bee Preservationist, and the Owner of Beecasso Live Bee Removal Inc, a licensed bee removal and relocation business based in the Los Angeles, California metro area. Steve has over 20 years of humane bee capturing and bee removal experience for both commercial and residential locations. Working with beekeepers, agriculturalists, and bee hobbyists, Steve sets up bee hives throughout the Los Angeles area and promotes the survival of bees. He has a passion for honeybee preservation and has created his own Beecasso sanctuary where rescued bee hives are relocated and preserved.

Steve Downs

Live Bee Removal Specialist

Expert Answer

The easiest way to remove bees flying around your home is to open the windows or a door. Bees are attracted to the outside light, and they'll probably fly out on their own. Bees are incredibly important to the planet, so it's best to allow them to escape on their own.

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We have a bee in our house and I don't think I see it anymore. What should we do?

Community Answer

If you do not see the bee in your home, it may have flown away. You could open your windows or doors to give it an exit if you think the bee is still inside. If it hasn't flown away, it will survive for only about one day.

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How long will a bee survive indoors?

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Bees can survive only about one day indoors without a source of nectar and pollen.

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Tips

If you regularly see bees in your house, or see them in one particular area, consider calling a bee removal service. Bees which create honeycombs in the walls of your home can cause serious and expensive damage.^{[11]
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Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
Never run away from a hornet, wasp or bee. Walk slowly and calmly in the opposite direction or past it. Running will startle it and make it more likely to follow and sting you.

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Helpful 18 Not Helpful 2
If you are allergic to bee stings, have someone else remove the bee.

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