Getting distracted while on the road is the most crucial mistake you can ever make. While some distractions can be completely ignored, some situations are just inevitable that you have no choice but to address them. One of those is getting a bee in your vehicle.
There are a few reasons why a bee can get attracted to enter your vehicle. We put together a step-by-step process on how to get a bee out of your car and how to avoid being in this situation in the first place.
1. Remain Calm
Bees aren’t aggressive creatures by nature. They typically only act in self-defense, so if you panic at the sight of a bee, it might feel threatened and sting you.
Remember to keep it cool. Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road at all times, even when there’s buzzing in your ear. Also, keep your clothes tucked and expose as little skin as possible. If all your windows are closed, roll them down and see if the bee flies out. It probably wants to return to its hive as much as you want it out of your vehicle.
2. Safely Pull Off the Road
If a bee finds its way into your car while you’re driving along a highway, pull over a shoulder on the road as a safety measure. Make sure you don’t make an abrupt stop, as it puts you and other drivers at risk. If there are no lay-by areas around, the best course is to keep driving until you find a safe spot to park and keep yourself off from moving traffic.
3. Drive the Bee Out
Once parked in a safe area, get out of your vehicle as carefully as possible, leaving the doors and windows open, and see if the bee will fly out on its own. If that doesn’t work, you can try these methods:
Shoo It Away (Carefully)
You can use various objects to carefully shoo a bee off your car, like a piece of cloth, a rolled-up newspaper, or even your shoe. However, don’t get too aggressive or it might sting you. You wouldn’t want to feel its painful effects for hours.
Lure It Out with Sweets
One of the reasons a bee may fly into your car is that it has sensed some sugary fragrance inside it. Candies, fruits, drinks, and even nuts can attract them. Drive the bee out by getting the source of the sweet scent out of your vehicle.
4. Drive with Your Windows Closed
After you’ve gotten the bee out of your vehicle, don’t make the same mistake of letting another one in by keeping your windows closed while driving. It will also prevent the attractants from wafting into your car.
Additional Ways to Bee-Proof Your Car
You wouldn’t want to attract a bee to hitch with you on your road trip. Here are some additional preventative measures you can take to not make your car a nesting ground for these yellow jackets.
Keep Your Car Clean
Maintaining the cleanliness of your car is the most important way you can prevent bees from infesting it. A handy vacuum cleaner goes a long way for on-the-road bee prevention, but you should have your car professionally cleaned every once in a while. If you haven’t found time to have your car washed, don’t leave it parked near places such as flower beds where there’s a high presence of bees.
Don’t Eat Sweets Inside Your Car
Avoid eating sugary food while on the road, especially in summer when swarms of bees are more active. Sure, they’re a good energy boost for the road but aren’t worth getting stung over. Bees are also naturally attracted to fragrances that remind them of flowers, so avoid wearing floral perfumes inside your car.
Use Bee Repellents
As much as bees are naturally attracted to sweet scents, there are some fragrances that they just loathe. Load up on some essential oils and fragrances, such as fresh eucalyptus and peppermint oil. You can also use almond oil, which beekeepers use when harvesting honey from a hive. However, do not spray them directly on the bees, as you may risk agitating them with these scents and stinging you in self-defense.
Alternatively, you may also concoct your own bee repellent using citronella and cedarwood scents.
Seek Help from a Professional Beekeeper
“I’m allergic to bees. What should I do?” If this is a question that lingers in your mind, then you may not be fit to try getting rid of these bees by yourself. It’s best to let a beekeeping professional handle the situation instead, as they have the proper tools to remove the bees’ nesting place in your car without harming them.
To Bee-Proof Road Trips Ahead
You know what they say: prevention is better than cure. Having a bee flying inside your vehicle can be a horrifying experience, but remaining calm and following the necessary steps is paramount to ensure your safety. As long as you know the ways to get a bee out of your car, you won’t have to worry about getting stung and having an allergic reaction.
It’s also important to note that bees play a vital role in our ecosystem, so try as much as possible to avoid harming the bee in the process of driving them away. By taking these precautions, you can successfully remove the bee and continue with your day.
