After all, bees need water, too.
Why are there always bees around your pool?
How do you keep them away so you could enjoy a sting-free summer?
A honeybee struggling to get out of the pool.Vlad Georgescue
Warning
If you see a bee in the pool, try and give it some space.
Bee stings are painful and can cause severe reactions in certain individuals, so be careful.
What Do Bees in the Pool Look Like?
A honeybee struggles to get out of a poolVlad Georgescu
In the wild, they sometimes land on aquatic plants in the water.
The ‘bee’ in your pool could be a honeybee, bumble bee, wasp, or hornet.
If you wish to identify it, start by looking for fuzz on the insect’s body.
A bumblebee drowning in a poolDejan Kolar
Be especially careful around stinging pests that are drowningthey’ll be agitated and stressed.
The problem in your pool could be due to bees, wasps, or hornets.
Look for a distinct flight path or ‘bee-line’ coming and going from one particular spot.
A wasp on the surface of the poolDudbrain
Seeing insects buzzing around a specific plant isn’t necessarily the sign of an active nest.
It could be foraging behavior.
Wasps and bees need to eat, too!
A honeybee drinking from the edge of a bird bath.Salvador Myro Caro/EyeEm
This is likely the entrance to their nest.
Tip
In pest control, identification is very important.
What Attracts Bees to the Pool?
Bees use a stick to land safely and drink from a birdbathGerry Proteau
They use their smell for that.
Pool water is pungent.
Unfortunately, this attraction to your pool is largely unavoidable.
Bees land on a rock placed in a bird bath for them to safely drink from.Diane079F
Your pool provides both of these things, and to top it all off?
Chlorinated and salt-treated water attracts bees because of the smell.
A pool is not an exceptionally safe place for a bee to drink from.
A honeybee pollinating flowersSumiko Scott
It’s too easy for them to end up drowning.
Fill a bird bath with the pool water that attracts the bees.
This will tell you whether you should venture to live at peace with them orlocate and eliminate their nest.
A bumblebee pollinating lavenderBusybee-CR
This can make their nests challenging to spot.
Sumiko Scott
Busybee-CR
Paper waspsare sleek and smooth with varied coloring, dangly legs, and a long body.
They are not as aggressive as hornets and yellow jackets.
A paper wasp on its small nestMinh Hoang Cong/500px
They’re likely to leave you alone and go about their (mostly) beneficial business.
If you see a hanging, open-faced nest shaped like an umbrella, this indicates a paper wasp nest.
Consider calling in the pros if you don’t feel comfortable removing and treating the nest yourself.
A white and black bald-faced hornetErik Agar
They prefer to build their nests around the limbs of trees and shrubs.
Bald-faced hornets are known to be aggressive, especially if you get too close to their home.
If you find their nest, be sure to give it space and don’t get in their way.
A bald-faced hornets nestRainbowphoto
They are very sensitive to vibration.
wildpixel
Bees in the pool probably came from a nearby nest.
Bees are very attracted to pools, so they’re likely to be around.
A small yellow jacket nestwildpixel
Avoid scooping bees and wasps out of the pool with your hand.
If you wish to remove the bee from your pool, use a cup or pool net instead.
