Why Are Bees Attracted To My Car? Things You Need To Know

Have you ever heard the story of the guy who returned to his car after doing a spot of grocery shopping to find it filled with 15,000 bees? Sounds crazy, right? But it’s true. The event happened in New Mexico back in 2021.

But this does make you wonder why the bees decided to take shelter in the car in the first place. A lot of car owners may have noticed that they have bees buzzing around their vehicles. If this sounds familiar, you’ve probably scratched your head and wondered why are bees attracted to my car?

There are a couple of reasons that bees could be attracted to your car. Primarily, they may find the environment under the hood to be warm and safe so might attempt to nest there. If you have bees on the inside of the car, it could be that they’re attracted to any sweet treats or drinks you have left inside.

Of course, making sure that you keep the windows closed and keep the car clean will help in the fight against this. Let’s take a closer look at why your car might be attracting bees.

The Bees Want A Safe Place To Nest

One of the main reasons that you might notice bees buzzing around your car is that they are making a nest under the hood. This is a spot that feels comfortable, safe and warm for the bees, especially when the car has been sitting idle for a long time as they’re not going to be disturbed.

If this is the case, you are going to notice bees flying in and out of the grille as this will be the main access to their nest.

To avoid this happening, it’s best to keep your car moving. Even if you don’t have anywhere to go, just fire the engine up and let it run for a few minutes each day. This should be enough to deter bees who prefer a quiet environment with no vibrations.

In the worst cases, you might not notice the bees until it is too late. In this case, your only option will be to call a specialist to come and safely deal with the problem.

The Bees Are Looking For Food

Your car might not seem like a restaurant but for bees, it’s a smorgasbord of tasty treats. For starters, as you drive along, your car will plough into a whole host of insects. It’s important to note that bees are not meat eaters but they have been known to be attracted to the secretions of insects such as aphids. If there are enough of these splattered on the front of your car, it might just be enough to attract bees.

Moreover, if you leave your car windows open and have any sweet snacks, sugary drinks or anything else that the bees might want to taste, you’d better watch out. So, it’s important to make sure that you make your car as unattractive as possible if you want to keep the bees away.

The Bees Are Following Each Other

There is another reason that the bees might be congregating around your car but it’s far less common than the ones we have already discussed. In fact, it’s almost unheard of but it does happen on occasion so it’s worth considering.

This reason is that the queen may have been near your car and stayed under the hood. There is a rumor that queen bees don’t leave the hive but this is not the case. She will take a mating flight and during this time, she may take a look under the hood of your car.

Since bees release pheromones to communicate with one another, the queen would have left her scent behind. The other bees are naturally inclined to follow and so will gather around the car.

What’s more, you have to keep in mind that bees work as a group. Each bee has its own job and one of those jobs is to forage. If a forager bee finds a food source, such as sugary drinks in your car, they’ll send out signals to other hive members to come and collect as much as they can. This is when you might start noticing swarms of bees around your vehicle.

How To Stop Bees Being Attracted To Your Car

Nobody wants to have to fight off a swarm of bees so preventing them from coming near your car is surely the best option. But what can you do to keep the bees at bay?

Start By Locating The Source Of The Problem

One of the first things you’re going to need to do is to figure out where the problem is coming from. If there are more than just two or three bees buzzing around the car then chances are that there is a nest nearby.

You’ll also want to make sure that what you’re dealing with are actually bees and not wasps or hornets. Wasps and hornets are much more aggressive and if you’re dealing with them in large numbers then it’s wise to seek professional help.

Looking for a bee nest does require some detective work but it’s not overly difficult. If you notice any patches of brown grass on the ground with a nearby hole then this is indicative of a bumblebee nest.

The bees don’t intend to harm you and they’ll probably leave you alone for the most part. However, if they are a problem, you’ll again need to call a beekeeper who will be able to humanely and safely handle the problem.

To spot a wasp nest, you will need to look at fences, trees, bushes and other areas around the property. You might even see a wasp nest built on the corner of the house between the roof and siding; this is a favorite place for wasps. You’ll be able to tell if it is a wasp nest as it will be gray and have the texture of a paper bag.

The good news with wasps is that it is incredibly unlikely that they will have established their nest in your car. But if you do notice very large numbers of them, it’s worth looking at as it isn’t impossible. Wasps search for heat so there is a small chance that they’ll take shelter under the hood where it’s nice and warm.

Eucalyptus Oil – The Natural Solution

There are many natural oils and plants that are known to deter bees as well as other bugs. But eucalyptus is favored by many because of how effective it is. Bees cannot stand the smell of eucalyptus oil so using it in your car should keep them at bay.

You don’t even need to go crazy with the stuff. Just a few dabs on the affected area should be more than enough to do the trick. You might even hand a eucalyptus-scented air freshener in the car. Just make sure it’s one that uses natural oils and some synthetic scents aren’t as strong or effective.

If you want to buy a bottle of eucalyptus oil, it’s readily available and can be purchased online. What’s more, is that it’s super affordable and has a whole range of other uses so even once you’ve tackled the bee problem you’ll be able to find a use for what’s left over.

Keep Your Car Clean And Free From Sweets

When you go on a long journey, it’s tempting to take a lot of car snacks and sugary drinks. That’s fine but we’d certainly recommend keeping the windows closed while you have these snacks exposed.

Bees are attracted to anything sweet and if you leave sugary drinks or snacks in the car with an open window, you’re asking for trouble. To avoid encountering a bee in the car, just make sure to remove all treats when you vacate the vehicle. We all want to keep our cars clean anyway and having this motivation might give you the push you need.

When All Else Fails; Go Chemical

We will be the first people to tell you that attacking bees with chemical products should be something that is always saved until last. Bees are pollinators that help to pollinate a huge amount of food crops so they’re essential to the ecosystem. Even wasps can become accidental pollinators as they travel between plants although this isn’t anywhere near what bees contribute.

However, if you have no other choice but to treat the problem with insecticides then one of the best products to use is Raid. This is very affordable and is a brand that’s known for its effectiveness. There are other similar spray products out there and some are specifically designed for certain insects which is why it’s important to know what you’re dealing with so that you can choose the correct product.

What’s great about these sprays is that you can use them on the bees or wasps from a distance. In fact, some Raid products let you stand as far as 22 feet back so you’ll be much safer. It’s a great option if you are looking to handle the infestation without calling for professional backup.

However, it is a good idea to at least seek advice from a local exterminator who will be able to recommend the best products for your situation. Again, if you ever find yourself in a very serious fight against bees around your car, don’t try to sort it out without the help of a pro as it could be incredibly dangerous.

How To Get A Bee Out Of Your Car

Have you ever been driving along only to notice that you’ve got a winged passenger that’s come along for the ride? If this happens to you, the most important thing is not to panic. The last thing you want to do is cause an accident so remain calm and pull over in a safe spot. Also, keep in mind the honey bees and bumblebees are not aggressive unless they’re provoked so they’ll fly quite happily around the car without trying to hurt you.

Once you have found a safe spot to pull the car over, you’re going to need to give the bee space to get out. Do this by opening all of the doors but keeping the windows up. This gives the bee a large opening to get out without him simply flying back in through the open window.

If possible, for example, if you find a bee in your car at home, then you might try luring it out with some sugar water. You can make this yourself using sugar and water (surprise surprise) and then place it in a container somewhere outside the vehicle. Of course, you will need to place it close enough that the bee can detect it.

You can also place the container inside the car and sit back and wait for the bee to go and investigate. When it does, simply pop on a lid and take the bee somewhere safe to release it. Never attempt to kill a bee as these are important pollinators.

Conclusion

Bees can be found pretty much all around the world and they plan an important role in the ecosystem by being pollinators. However, while we do love bees, they can sometimes become a pest when they’re somewhere that they aren’t meant to be, like around your car.

But why are bees attracted to my car, you might ask? Well, the simple answer is that they see something beneficial to their survival. This might be a cosy spot under the hood of an idle car to build a nest or a food source that is utterly irresistible.

It’s important to determine the reason that there are bees around your car and look for signs of a nest on or around the vehicle. Once you have done this, you will be able to eradicate the problem. We would always suggest using natural methods but where necessary, you may have to turn to a bug spray or something similar.