Should I Kill Bees with Wasp Spray?
This is a fairly common question Arizona residents ask when hoping to save a little money, rather than hire a bee professional to get rid of honey bees in and/or around them home.
That said, the short answer is NO, you should not use a can of wasp spray to kill bees.
Why?
Here are 5 Reasons Why You Don’t Want to Use Wasp Spray to Kill Bees
It is Not Effective
In the vast majority of instances, the use of wasp spray against honey bees is not an effective strategy because when it kills the bees, those bees will release a pheromone that sends a strong signal to other bees to attack.
In the end, such an approach will likely lead to the person using the wasp spray getting stung and make the honey bees to become more agitated and aggressive. Additionally, wasp spray is meant to be sprayed onto an exposed wasp or hornet nest not for hives, where honey bees normally reside, which are typically in an in accessible cavity within a home’s structure.
Additionally, in the circumstances under which wasp spray can effectively exterminate bees, it can take several days and/or weeks. What this means is that the honey and wax is left behind within a wall or structure of your home could attract a new colony of bees.
Makes Bees Removal More Expensive
As mentioned earlier, if you attempt to use wasp spray against the bees at your home, you further agitate them making bee removal a more hazardous and time consuming task. This can result in a more costly bill when hiring a professional to effectively remove the bees from your home or property.
It is Illegal
Did you know that it is against federal law to use wasp spray in a manner that is contrary to what is described on its directions for use label?
If you are caught using wasp spray to kill bees, you could open yourself up to potential state and federal fines in addition to civil lawsuits.
Not a Live Removal Option
If you are interested in saving the bees and simply want to remove them from your home to relocate them elsewhere, using wasp spray is not a viable solution. That is because wasp spray is meant to “kill”.
Can be a Health Hazard
Wasp spray, like most household insect sprays, contains a chemical called pyrethrins. Thus, if inhaled, wasp spray can be life-threatening. Moreover, wasp spray can also irritate your skin and is harmful when absorbed through the skin. That is why wasp sprays have a warning on the can’s label to avoid contact with skin, eyes and clothing as well as to avoid breathing the wasp spray’s mist and/or vapors.