One Major Bee Problem Illinois and Wisconsin Boaters Need to Beware Of

Is your boat's motor making a weird buzzing sound? You've likely got bees...and that's no joke.

The Downsides of Owning a Boat

One of my very favorite pastimes is boating. There's just nothing better than enjoying a cool cocktail while soaking up some sun on a boat. My preferred boat style may be more pontoon than speed boat, but owning any kind of boat is a great thing...until you have problems.

Batteries go dead, motors get flooded, wires can get chewed by pests...a lot of weird things can go wrong with boats, but honestly, I have never heard of or seen something quite like this happen before...

Yes, you guessed right. Bees have completely overrun one Wisconsin family's boat motor, and it's totally giving me the creeps. (I highly suggest reading through the comments on the post...a lot of people made some creative jokes).

Sure, honey bees are a good thing and need to be protected, but having an infestation in your boat motor is a very BAD thing!

How to Prevent Bees and Other Bugs From Getting Into Your Boat Motor

If your boat sits outdoors for a long time without being covered, there's a darn good chance that pesky insects will eventually move into it somewhere. If you're wondering how that many bees could get into a boat motor that is closed or covered, the likely culprit could be the boat's thru-hulls.

Many boats, large and small, have holes called thru-hulls along the bottom that allow water and gases to move through the hull. They can be above water level or below, and most of them cannot be closed or sealed to keep pests out. So, is there anything we can do to make sure insects or pests can't get in our motors through the thru-hulls?

Here's something super easy to try from theboatgalley.com; just buy some stainless steel kitchen scrubbers and cut them into pieces small enough to fit into each thru-hull!

When your boat is not in the water, these little scrubbers will keep bugs from getting into your boat's allow will still allowing gases and condensation to move out. Just make sure you don't forget to remove the scrubbers before you put your boat back in the water or you could have a whole new set of problems on your hands.

If honey bees specifically take up residence in your boat's motor, DON'T KILL THEM. Contact your boat mechanic or local beekeeper for help removing them safely.