Honeybees in trash cans!

[Kimberly Berg]

During the hot and dry summer months, I have issues with honeybees in my trash cans (about 8-10 bees). They are attracted to water this time of year, but it's getting worse as my car wash is busier than ever and MORE customers are throwing away trash that contains sugary sodas, juice and ice cream. 3 years ago, I started posting signs on my vacuums, to educate customers and reduce any liability in case they are stung. It probably doesn't help that my vacuums are yellow and honeybees are naturally drawn to this color. I will be replacing these Doyle vacuums later this year with stainless steel uprights. My car wash colors are bright yellow and blue. I get about 8-10 honey bees, but the swarm will increase depending on the scent of juice. I've spoken to several local bee keepers, they say it's not a matter of the Queen Bee looking for a new hive, it's a trash issue.

Though my car wash is a 5-bay self-service car wash, I'm on-site for a few hours every other day. I wash my trash cans when I'm on-site, and spray with peppermint oil and cleaning vinegar (2 scents they don't like). I don't want to spray them with an insect killer. While the cans are clean, it only takes 1 customer leaving a sugary drink and the honeybees are back in force! I've received a couple phone calls and text messages, with customers complaining about the number of bees. 1 woman texted me yesterday that she was stung. I replied with a sincere apology and photo of my signs. The situation resolves when the weather cools and rain starts in September-October.

Does anyone have any experience with this issue, and can offer any solutions?

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

I recommend swatting a couple with a magazine (or something) so you can get a positive ID. If you do in fact have a honey bee problem, well, unfortunately if it is really less than a dozen bees then I think your sign is your best solution.

Without actually seeing your bees I cant be sure, but odds are it is yellowjacket wasps. Almost everybody confuses them.
A few tip-offs in your post include
- somebody got stung - wasps are aggressive, honey bees usually are not
- you use vinegar to clean, which attracts wasps but is generally avoided by honey bees
- the number you are seeing, 8 to 10
- the pic on your "bee aware" sign is a yellowjacket, not a honey bee

I suggest putting out a few commercial or diy yellowjacket traps. I've used the diy 1 or 2 liter plastic soda bottle traps with reasonably good success. I've also used a couple different commercial traps with good success. You may need to try a couple different ones.

I've been a hobby beekeeper for a long time. Most of my yellowjacket trapping has been at my hives, only occasionally at the car wash.

 

[Overachiever]

Wasps are always around my garbage cans this time of year. They go away when I empty the trash cans. I'd be really surprised if it was honey bees.

Another fun way to test it out is to get stung by one, if it dies immediately its a honey bee, otherwise it's a yellowjacket.

 

[MEP001]

Another fun way to test it out is to get stung by one, if it dies immediately its a honey bee, otherwise it's a yellowjacket.

Your idea of fun differs greatly from mine.

I don't think the color of the trash cans matters. They're attracted to blue and black just the same.

 

[ShinePro]

Try owning an ice cream store with a 20 acre pumpkin patch out on the back 40

We mix a repellent and it works
4 herbs
Clove- Rosemary- lemongrass- geranium
5 ml each into a gal of water with a splash of dish soap
Spray 35 trash cans everyday


But I need honeybees or no cucurbits

 

[HeyVern]

My vacuums are stainless, I get yellow jackets around them whenever there is a lot of sugary drinks in the trash. They usually go away as soon as I dump the trash.

 

[OurTown]

For several weeks now we have been getting yellow jackets in our trash cans and dumpster. Surprisingly I have not been stung this year. (YET) I can't recall ever seeing honey bees around the wash.

 

[ShinePro]

I should have said that we spray mostly for yellow jackets.
But we are careful what we use due to our huge honey population nearby

 

[Kimberly Berg]

I recommend swatting a couple with a magazine (or something) so you can get a positive ID. If you do in fact have a honey bee problem, well, unfortunately if it is really less than a dozen bees then I think your sign is your best solution.

Without actually seeing your bees I cant be sure, but odds are it is yellowjacket wasps. Almost everybody confuses them.
A few tip-offs in your post include
- somebody got stung - wasps are aggressive, honey bees usually are not
- you use vinegar to clean, which attracts wasps but is generally avoided by honey bees
- the number you are seeing, 8 to 10
- the pic on your "bee aware" sign is a yellowjacket, not a honey bee

I suggest putting out a few commercial or diy yellowjacket traps. I've used the diy 1 or 2 liter plastic soda bottle traps with reasonably good success. I've also used a couple different commercial traps with good success. You may need to try a couple different ones.

I've been a hobby beekeeper for a long time. Most of my yellowjacket trapping has been at my hives, only occasionally at the car wash.

These are DEFINITELY honey bees - NOT yellowjackets, wasps or hornets! My sister got stung last week. The bee landed on her yellow work shirt and when she moved her arm downward, it stung her & died. Here's a couple photos I took tonight in one of my trash cans. They're all over the Mike's Hard Lemonade can...

 

[Randy]

This time of the year put out a couple of Yellow jacket/Wasps traps near the dumpster, away from the vac islands and bays. I don’t see many honey bees around. We wash the garbage cans out as necessary. I keep a couple of cans of Yellow jacket spray for when they get real bad or I find a nest. I’ve had them nest behind the face plate on the vacuum, they were coming and going out the coin return slot. A couple of years ago I had a swarm of honey bees land on one of our vac islands to rest, they covered the whole vac island. After about 45 minutes they left, there wasn’t one bee left.

 

[Randy]

These are DEFINITELY honey bees - NOT yellowjackets, wasps or hornets! My sister got stung last week. The bee landed on her yellow work shirt and when she moved her arm downward, it stung her & died. Here's a couple photos I took tonight in one of my trash cans. They're all over the Mike's Hard Lemonade can...

You must have a bee hive close by.

 

[Trishale]

I have honey bees in my garbage cans every summer in Alabama. They especially seem to like Mountain Dew cans. They don't usually cause problems, I just grab the garbage can and go. I don't swat at them. I hate the fire ants more than the bees.

 

[Greg Pack]

If they were anything other than honeybees I'd say you can spray talstar insecticide around teh trash cans (available on line) and it would kill them. But honeybees are having a tough time in this world today surviving so I leave them alone.

This posts reminds me that I did have some young guy call me about five years ago and say he got stung on my property and wanted to put me on notice, he may have to call back if he had any reaction and discuss my liability. I almost laughed but managed not to.

 

[Buckeye Hydro]

We have a customer who franchises out trucks that serve flavored ice - ice with a sugary syrup. They have lots of trouble with bees. This company has been buying from us (for years) small pumps, tubing, fittings, and misting nozzles. It works well. You'd probably need one or two misting nozzles over each can.

Russ

 

[New Washdog]

These are DEFINITELY honey bees - NOT yellowjackets, wasps or hornets! My sister got stung last week. The bee landed on her yellow work shirt and when she moved her arm downward, it stung her & died. Here's a couple photos I took tonight in one of my trash cans. They're all over the Mike's Hard Lemonade can...

Sound like honeybees are angry drunks! Sorry I don't have any useful information on how to deal with the issue.

 

[traveler17]

These are DEFINITELY honey bees - NOT yellowjackets, wasps or hornets! My sister got stung last week. The bee landed on her yellow work shirt and when she moved her arm downward, it stung her & died. Here's a couple photos I took tonight in one of my trash cans. They're all over the Mike's Hard Lemonade can...

I have the same issue certain time of year w both. Bees and yellow jackets. I put 3 or 4 2 liter bottles over behind the dumpster and use that as a trap to “ “try” and keep the bulk of them that way. If I stop by and they are in and out of a can or cans I dump or spray bleach on top of the trash. It seems to keep them at bay for a while. I’m not emptying cans all day

 

[Kimberly Berg]

We have a customer who franchises out trucks that serve flavored ice - ice with a sugary syrup. They have lots of trouble with bees. This company has been buying from us (for years) small pumps, tubing, fittings, and misting nozzles. It works well. You'd probably need one or two misting nozzles over each can.

Russ

Thank you, I appreciate your feedback!! I love the idea of adding a misting nozzle. Unfortunately, my 5 trash cans aren't located near a water source... And I don't want to create a tripping hazard by adding a water line on the ground.

 

[Kimberly Berg]

I have the same issue certain time of year w both. Bees and yellow jackets. I put 3 or 4 2 liter bottles over behind the dumpster and use that as a trap to “ “try” and keep the bulk of them that way. If I stop by and they are in and out of a can or cans I dump or spray bleach on top of the trash. It seems to keep them at bay for a while. I’m not emptying cans all day

I agree Traveler17. I appreciate your post. Today, I bought a bottle of Lemon Bleach and sprayed a misting over the trash cans. If nothing else, customers can "See" that I'm BEEING proactive!

 

[Buckeye Hydro]

moth balls?

 

[Randy]

I don't have any problems with Honey bees this year This year I've got a big problem with aggressive Yellow Jackets, I've never seen them this bad before.