Bees may show up at your home one day, unannounced, and cause you stress due to their potential to sting. However, bees play an irreplaceable role in many plants' reproductive lifecycles and make the honey that so many people enjoy, so you don't want to harm them either.

Many people wonder what to do when they see bees starting to appear nearby. Alternatively, you may be interested in becoming a beekeeper due to the benefits that bees offer. In either case, learn how to stay safe if you have bees so you can enjoy their presence instead of fearing them. Below, we'll offer advice and tips to minimize the risks associated with being around bees.

See If You Have Allergies

For anybody who frequently encounters bees or is worried about getting stung, getting an allergy test done is essential. Your physician can determine in a safe, controlled way whether you would have serious allergic reactions to bee stings. One example of a test that they may perform involves injecting a tiny amount of bee venom in your skin, either on your upper back or arm. If the skin at the injected area forms a lump, that would indicate that you are allergic to the substance.

Your doctor could also take a blood sample, which they can send to a lab for analysis to see if you possess antibodies that cause allergic reactions in response to bee stings.

When you know for certain that you do or do not have a bee allergy, this knowledge can inform your subsequent choices around them. A person with the allergy should exercise greater caution when bees are present and try to avoid them altogether, if possible.

Avoid Agitating or Attracting the Bees

There are many ways that you might inadvertently incur the wrath of bees for what seems like no reason. Bees are normally peaceful and will not seek to harm you without cause, but this can change if you add one or more agitating factors into the environment. Here are some elements to consider.

Colors

The first thing you should be careful of around bees is the type of clothing and accessories you wear. Avoid darker colors such as black, brown, and red. These colors may make you resemble a bear or skunk, in their eyes, which are the predators of bees. You might wonder why that applies to the color red, but unlike humans, bees cannot see the longer-wavelength, red part of the light spectrum. Instead, they will perceive it as another dark, predator-like shade of black.

You might want to avoid wearing bright colors that resemble the flowers that bees visit. While they won't be as defensive as they are when you wear dark colors, bees will be more likely to approach you. Shiny jewelry that glints in the sunlight can stir up bees as well, and thus, you should refrain from wearing earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.

So what colors are safe to wear when you have bees close by? Look to beekeepers for the answer. If you think of a typical beekeeper suit, you'll realize that it is entirely white. These lighter and pale colors are simply uninteresting to bees. They won't actively avoid you when you put on these colors, but they won't have a reason to pay attention to you, either.

Scents

Bees are sensitive to scents in the air because they locate flowers partially by smell and communicate with one another using pheromones. When you wear sweet-smelling perfume, hair products, or deodorant, bees may begin to follow you around because they are attracted to the scent. Even the smell of sweet soap on your skin can have this effect.

To avoid this, try to find alternative scents for these products that won't make you seem like a good source of pollen. Don't eat or drink sweet or fruity foods and beverages outside when bees are around, either, for the same reason.

Know How to Deal With Stings

Another aspect of knowing how to stay safe if you have bees is knowing how to react in the event that you do get stung. One of the most important things to remember is to remain calm. You don't want to invite more stings, so you should seek to move away from the area and get away from other bees.

Lightly pull or scrape out the stinger with a fingernail as soon as possible. A bee's stinger will continue to burrow into you even after it has detached from the bee, so taking it out quickly can prevent it from going in too deep and spreading more venom. Try not to squeeze the sting too hard when removing it, as this can push more venom into the skin as well.

Once you're free of the stinger, wash the affected area with water and soap to get rid of any trace of the alarm pheromone that the stinging bee left on you, which causes other bees to become aggressive towards you. You can also hold an ice pack over the affected area to reduce swelling.

If you are allergic to bee stings, you should carry an EpiPen or other injector on your person that can deliver epinephrine to your body. Epinephrine will subdue anaphylaxis, which is an acute allergic reaction that can cause swelling, nausea, and difficulty breathing, among other symptoms. Always seek professional medical attention after injecting epinephrine to verify that there are no further complications.

Upon noticing bees appearing more frequently around your home, you may want to retain the services of a bee removal service as an overarching safety measure to avoid being stung. In such an instance, call Honey Bee Rescue for professional bee removal services. In addition to possessing the tools and knowledge to address bee problems, we also partner with local beekeepers and have established our own apiary so that we can relocate the bees safely and ethically once we've taken them from your home. Contact us today for a free estimate.