Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Catch a bee in a cup or bowl
• Method 2 of 3: Let the bee fly away by itself
• Method 3 of 3: Getting bees out of your house with sugar water
• Tips

A bee in the house can be a source of concern, especially for children and people with allergies. Some people tend to spray large amounts of toxic bug spray on the bee or hit the bee to death when they see it. However, there are better non-toxic methods you can use.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Catch a bee in a cup or bowl

1. Grab a cup or bowl. Preferably you use a transparent cup, glass or bowl, but this is not necessary. It's also a good idea to use a plastic cup or bowl, as plastic is less heavy and therefore less likely to damage a wall or window when trying to catch the bee. You can use whatever regular cup or bowl you have at home. With a bowl you have a greater margin of error and you don't need to be as accurate when trying to catch the bee, but a cup can easily be covered and moved once you've caught the bee.
2. Wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants. With a long-sleeved shirt and long pants, you cover your body as much as possible, which reduces the chance of getting stung by the bee. Do not wear shorts and a T-shirt when trying to catch a bee in a cup or bowl.
3. Catch the bee in the cup or bowl. If the bee has landed on a flat, smooth surface, move the cup or slowly approach the bee with one hand. When you have reached a distance of 15 to 30 centimeters from the bee, put the cup or quickly get over the bee, so that it is trapped.
   • Do not try to catch a bee that is on the carpet. Chances are that the bee will escape.
4. Choose something to cover the cup or bowl with. You can choose from a lot of different materials to cover the cup or bowl that you caught the bee with. If you are catching a bee with a bowl, you can use a folded newspaper, a sheet of thick paper, or a light brown envelope. If you catch a bee with a cup, you can use a cardboard card or a magazine.
   • Take into account the diameter of the opening of your cup or bowl and choose something that covers the opening well. Whatever you choose, make sure it is relatively thin.
5. Place the material between the bee and the surface the bee landed on. After you have chosen material, slowly slide it between the edge of the bowl or cup that you caught the bee with and the wall or hard surface on which the bee was sitting. Hold the rim of the cup or bowl up one or two millimeters on one side. Slide the magazine or cardstock under the cup or glass and push it over the surface the bee was sitting on.
   • The bee is likely to be surprised and fly when the cup or bowl is placed over it. This will make it easier for you to slide the material under the cup or bowl to cover it.
6. Bring the bee outside. Go to an open door while keeping the cup or bowl that you trapped the bee in securely covered. Take about ten steps away from your house and remove the paper materials that are trapping the bee in the cup or bowl. Place the opening of the cup or bowl on the floor and slide the material away. Let the bee fly away or crawl under the cup or bowl, then quickly run back into your house, closing the door before the bee can fly back in.
   • Do not take the bee to a place that is too far away. The hive is probably nearby and the bee will die if it can no longer find the hive.

Method 2 of 3: Let the bee fly away by itself

1. Open the windows of your house. If you have mosquito nets on your windows and secondary windows, open those too. When you remove the screens, place them near the windows so that you can put them back in front of the correct windows later. Open the curtains or blinds so the bee can fly away.
   • When the sun has set and you have a lamp outside the window, you can turn it on and turn off the lamps in the room with the bee. When the bee flies away to the outdoor lamp, close the window behind it.
2. Open the doors of your house. If you have a screen door with a door pull spring that automatically closes the door, you can use the small hook near the hinge of the spring mechanism to hold the door open. If you have a secured door, you can leave it closed, as long as there is no screen in front of it. If there is an insect screen in front of the door, you can also open it.
   • If you have sliding glass doors, open the curtains in front of the doors so the bee can see out. Open the door carefully when you notice the bee flying into the glass. This way the bee can fly outside.
3. Wait a few minutes for the bee to fly away. With the doors and windows open, the bee will look for a way to fly back to its hive and find nearby flowers. While you wait for the bee to take off, keep an eye on the doors and windows to make sure no birds and other animals enter. Close your windows and doors when the bee is gone.

Method 3 of 3: Getting bees out of your house with sugar water

1. Mix some water and sugar. Bees are attracted to sweet flavors like the nectar they get from flowers. By preparing a little sugar water you can roughly imitate the taste of nectar. Mix about a teaspoon of sugar with three teaspoons of water. You can mix the ingredients in a blender or mix them by hand in a small cup. You shouldn't need more than 250ml of this mixture.
   • The bee probably likes filtered water more than tap water. Try a different type of water if the bee isn't attracted to the first sugar and water mixture you prepare.
2. Put 120 ml of sugar water in a jar. It doesn't matter how big the jar you use is, just make sure the jar has a lid. The jar can be glass or plastic, but the lid must be plastic. Old jars that have held peanut butter, jam, or pasta sauce are good choices. Put the lid on the jar to close the jar.
3. Poke a hole in the lid of the jar. Make sure the hole is about the same diameter as your little finger. It is important not to make the hole too big so that the bee can crawl into the pot, but not get out.
4. Take the jar outside when the bee has crawled in. When the bee gets into the pot, it can drown in the sweet mixture. If the bee drowns, take the jar outside, remove the lid, and dispose of the bee and sugar water in a grassy clearing at least 10 paces from your house. Go back in and rinse the pot.
5. Release a live bee. If the bee is in the jar and still alive, take it outside and cover the hole in the lid with your thumb or a piece of duct tape. Walk at least ten steps at your house today and unscrew the lid from the jar. Unscrew the lid, but keep it partly over the opening of the jar. Drain the sugar water from the jar and make sure that the bee does not get wet. When you have largely thrown away the sugar water, keep the jar away from you and remove the lid completely. When the bee flies out of the jar, run back into the house and close the door behind you.

Tips

• If you are allergic to bee stings, have someone else catch the bee.
• Don't try to kill bees. Bees are very important in pollinating flowers and plants and the number of bees has been decreasing for years.
• If you regularly see bees in your home or in a particular area, call a pest controller. Bees that make honeycombs in the walls of your home can cause serious damage and it costs a lot of money to repair the damage.
• Don't hit the bees with your arms. This can make them irritated and decide to stab you.
• Never run away if you see a hornet, wasp or bee. Slowly and steadily walk in the opposite direction or past the insect. Running will startle the insect and make it more likely to follow and sting you.
• If there is a wasp or bee on or flying around you, stop and do not look at it.