What can be done to keep bees away from where apples fall so we can pick them up without being stung?

Question

We have bees accumulating around our apple tree - the apples have fallen. We want to pick up the apples but the bees are too many. In addition we have a dog who sometimes eats the apples so we want to avoid poison.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

You're just going to have to be careful picking them up. You can get a long-handled fruit picker, and use that instead of your hands. You can use gloves. You can pick them up after dark, when the bees have gone to sleep.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

I picked them up at night with a dog scooper to avoid hand contact. There were a couple bees hidden in the apples but not bad at all!

Answer 2

smoke
or fogger

Answer 3

distract them by putting some honey (or other bee-preferred sweet) on a plate away from where you are picking up the apples. it seems to work at an outdoor cafe i frequent. the bees go for the easy sweets and leave the diners alone.

Answer 4

I recommend picking up the apples that are on the ground at night after the bees have all left and gone back to their nest. You'll probably need a flashlight. The bees usually stick to eating on the apples that are on the ground. By getting rid of the apples on the ground, you'll help to eliminate your problem.

Answer 5

You can use a long stick tipped with a sharp pointed needle or a knife so that when the next time an apple falls on the ground, you can fetch them using the stick like a Harpoon or a spear. Before you do this, keep your dog away. All you have to do is pinch the apple with your harpoon from a long distance. Make sure that the stick is very long, say about 10 meters or so. You can use a hook instead of a sharp pointed tip for safety in case the children want use it.

Answer 6

Good luck. Bees love apples that have ripened and fallen. I think the best advice was from the person who said to pick them when it gets dark when the bees go to bed.