How to deter sweat bees – 3 methods a pest control expert swears by to keep these stinging insects away from your yard

Summer is a glorious time in the backyard. Flowers are in bloom and temperatures stay warm long into the evening, so you can enjoy your outdoor space for longer. There is also a lot of active wildlife at this time of year, too, so you're likely to spot bees and butterflies fluttering around. However, some insects can be a nuisance, especially when they threaten a risk of being bitten or stung – like sweat bees.

Sweat bees are a type of bee that tend to be less popular than fuzzy bumblebees. The reason being, sweat bees earn their name from being attracted to the scent of human sweat, commonly resulting in a sting. It's less than ideal to be constantly keeping an eye out for these nuisance pests while trying to enjoy your garden with friends and family, which is why you may be keen to deter sweat bees.

And while many of us do wish to attract bees to the garden to encourage pollination and to enjoy their presence, sweat bees might just be causing more havoc than good in your yard. If this is the case, pest control expert, Juan C. Rezk of CERTUS has some methods you can try to keep these bees away.

3 ways to deter sweat bees

'Sweat bees are attracted to sweat so any method that hides human scent or prevents their nesting activities will be beneficial,' says Juan.

Much like getting rid of mosquitoes, you can can use organic methods to deter sweat bees that don't cause them any harm but will discourage them from hanging around your yard. Here are three Juan suggests trying:

1. Use fragrant plants

This is a good method if you wish to keep sweat bees away from a very specific part of your yard, such as your outdoor seating area. It works the same as scents to deter mosquitoes, using fragrant plants that sweat bees can't stand the smell of.

'Plants with mint and eucalyptus and citronella properties can function as weak bee repellents,' says Juan. 'This method will not solve the issue completely, but it will modify the environment to reduce the attractiveness of your yard,' he explains.

There are lots of aromatic herbs you can position in your yard, such as mint (from Walmart). You can even use essential oils, like this citronella essential oil from Amazon.

Try positioning these plants around the edge of your patio, for example, to create a sweat bee barrier.

Juan C. Rezk

Juan is a US-based pest control expert who has 11 years of experience, and joined CERTUS in the summer of 2023.

2. Mulch exposed ground

To deter sweat bees effectively, you need to make your yard undesirable. This includes removing any possible nesting spots for these insects.

Sweat bees burrow underground, favoring sandy soil types and soft exposed ground. If you have any spots like this in your yard, it can be a good idea to mulch over it.

'Mulching proves to be effective when performed correctly. A deep uniform layer of mulch prevents the exposed sandy areas which serve as preferred burrowing sites for sweat bees,' Juan explains.

'Be mindful when applying mulch in damp regions because excessive application can create conditions that attract other pests that can destroy plants,' he advises.

You can use your own mulch, made from homemade compost or leaf mulch, or you can purchase mulch (like this bag from Amazon).

Of course, the benefit of this method is that it can also help any plants in the area, providing extra insulation in winter and trapping moisture in for hot summer days.

3. Keep your yard tidy

This is the simplest way to deter sweat bees; keeping your yard free of debris reduces shelter for them, once again making your outdoor space less desirable to them.

'The presence of clutter in yards establishes small environments which enable different pests, including bees, to build their nests successfully,' Juan says.

Think cleaning up fallen leaves and branches, using outdoor storage (like this from Amazon) to put items away, and properly storing gardening tools.

The bonus of this is that your yard will be spruced up and look neat for the garden hosting season.

FAQs

Are sweat bees active in fall?

Sweat bees tend to primarily be summer garden pests, but some will remain active in early fall. Just like other fall pollinators, sweat bees benefit from late summer flowers which can attract them to your yard.

Are sweat bees plant pests?

No. Despite sweat bees sometimes being a nuisance, they aren't plant pests and do not cause any damage to plants. In fact, just like other bees, sweat bees are actually pollinators. They feed on nectar and help transfer pollen between plants.

Don't forget that sweat bees are still important pollinators. By deterring them from just part of your yard (i.e. a seating area), you can still offer them resources elsewhere in your garden. For example, you can include some of the best fall-blooming native plants in a corner of your yard, away from any areas you want to avoid attracting them to.