Attacked without provocation .....

[Karol]

Isoamyl acetate is used in lots of cosmetic products as a solvent.

As for honeybee aggression then here's a theory which will get slated from the outset but nevertheless may have a smidgeon of relevance. The ban/withdrawal on foliar neonics used in gardens and other neonic applications may be having an effect. Aggression is likely to have been subdued as a consequence of sublethal dosing as is swarming. Both seem to have anecdotally at least been reported more and this would be consistent with what would be expected with a reduction in use.

 

[pargyle]

Isoamyl acetate is used in lots of cosmetic products as a solvent.

As for honeybee aggression then here's a theory which will get slated from the outset but nevertheless may have a smidgeon of relevance. The ban/withdrawal on foliar neonics used in gardens and other neonic applications may be having an effect. Aggression is likely to have been subdued as a consequence of sublethal dosing as is swarming. Both seem to have anecdotally at least been reported more and this would be consistent with what would be expected with a reduction in use.

Drug withdrawal symptoms ? Hopefully they will improve as the nicotine dependency wears off ? I know what I was like when I stopped smoking !

Mine, actually, have not been too bad - but their immediate foraging area is more urban than farmland - they were a bit grumpy when we had that windy spell but nothing like some on here are describing - my mentors bees (over 30 hives mostly on farms and a long standing beekeeper) have been less well behaved and he put it down to the weather - particularly the wind. Who knows ? Something to chat about with the association at OPEN FARM SUNDAY on 7th (Sorry - thought I would get in a plug .... !).

 

[Dishmop]

.
I have always thought that bees defense their hive. That it why bees have sting and teeth. Bees do not attack on field for fun.... it is virus. Often told that they hate weather.

Another odd idea.... Beehives in public garden where nothing irritates the beehives. However I have heard stories that beehive has killed chickens and a doc on own home yard.

And what about that habit in winter: Stethoscope and knock knock, are you alive...

We also hear plenty of stuff that is usually just rubbish. Urban myths we call them. Enough to fill box.

 

[alldigging]

I got some apple blossom shampoo. Smells lovely. I blame that for the bee sting on my head and vowed never to use the apple scented stuff again.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

One of the best pieces of advice I have been given with regard to bees is if one get tangled in your hair instantly slap it with the palm of your hand as fast as you can. You might expect this would elicit a sting but if your quick the stunned bee will fall off. If you try to pull it out, it will panic & you're almost guaranteed a sting.

Unfortunately slapping your head always provokes mirth from onlookers

Get someone else to do it for you?

 

[Buzzingalong]

Thanks for the useful help and advice.

I should also say that I wasn't wearing any kind of aftershave, etc. I wasn't even particularly sweaty.

Slapping the bee with the palm of the hand sounds like a good idea, but when it's on the back of the head it's hard to get the aim right.

I suppose I could have just left it there, buzzing away close to my ear - would that have been a better option in the hope that it would then fly off? Not easy to do of course as there would be the worry of it crawling inside my ear and stinging inside the ear canal, which would of course have been very painful.

If I go near bees again should I use a bee repellant?

 

[Dishmop]

Its thier legs that get caught in hair the same as they do in a spiders web...

 

[madasafish]

Don't know about the perfume or aftershave, but we are usually dripping with sweat, clothing soaked, while examining the bees all day in the warm weather, they don't take a blind bit of notice regards aggression, even if the sweat is dripping right on top of them.

My sweat smells like cat's pee!

 

[thorn]

Was there any oil seed rape within foraging distance? Beekeepers have reported on this forum that OSR makes bees testy. And It's possible that there may be something in the urban environment that can have the same effect, though I've no idea what it may be.

 

[Travelator]

Thanks for the useful help and advice.

I should also say that I wasn't wearing any kind of aftershave, etc. I wasn't even particularly sweaty.

Slapping the bee with the palm of the hand sounds like a good idea, but when it's on the back of the head it's hard to get the aim right.

I suppose I could have just left it there, buzzing away close to my ear - would that have been a better option in the hope that it would then fly off? Not easy to do of course as there would be the worry of it crawling inside my ear and stinging inside the ear canal, which would of course have been very painful.

If I go near bees again should I use a bee repellant?

Hello Buzzingalong, thank you for being patient whilst your thread goes off on a few interesting tangents!

One possibility that I haven't seen mentioned is that you unwittingly walked into a flight path and the first bee crashed into you because it wasn't paying attention on it's way to or from the hive. If that's the case, then contacting the venue was a very helpful thing to do because they may be able to fix the problem by putting up some kind of barrier to make the bees take a different route.

As to how to avoid getting stung, I have three pieces of advice:

- Do not flap your arms or run around if bees are bothering you. Try to walk away slowly through trees if possible.

- If a bee does get stuck in your hair, it's unlikely to survive either way and it may sting you. Calmly locate and squish it firmly (slapping is a valid technique!)

- It's normal for bee stings to be very painful and cause localised swelling for several days. However, you should be concerned if you get stung by a bee in one place and experience any effects (numbness, swelling, tingling, etc) in other parts of your body.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As to how to avoid getting stung, I have three pieces of advice:

- Do not flap your arms or run around if bees are bothering you. Try to walk away slowly through trees if possible.

- If a bee does get stuck in your hair, it's unlikely to survive either way and it may sting you. Calmly locate and squish it firmly (slapping is a valid technique!)

- It's normal for bee stings to be very painful and cause localised swelling for several days. However, you should be concerned if you get stung by a bee in one place and experience any effects (numbness, swelling, tingling, etc) in other parts of your body.

Either that, or shave your head

 

[Finman]

.
Travellator forgot one important piece of advice: Cry and shout!..

 

[jonnybeegood]

I went into my Apiary today in a bear suit & never got one sting, clearly they dont think were bears then?

 

[Buzzingalong]

Was there any oil seed rape within foraging distance? Beekeepers have reported on this forum that OSR makes bees testy. And It's possible that there may be something in the urban environment that can have the same effect, though I've no idea what it may be.

No, there wasn't any oilseed rape (not that I could see on the very large grounds).

 

[YorkshireBees]

Don't know about the perfume or aftershave, but we are usually dripping with sweat, clothing soaked, while examining the bees all day in the warm weather, they don't take a blind bit of notice regards aggression, even if the sweat is dripping right on top of them.

I know the feeling. I wear a hat under my hood to try and keep the sweat out of my eyes + stop it dripping but after a few hours I can't help it and have never had a reaction from the bees when it drips on top of the frames!

Was there any oil seed rape within foraging distance? Beekeepers have reported on this forum that OSR makes bees testy. And It's possible that there may be something in the urban environment that can have the same effect, though I've no idea what it may be.

I have never had a problem with bees either during or at the end of OSR flows. Whether there is still other forage about near my apiaries may make it different but in my experience OSR has nothing to do with the bee temperament!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Great post, Travelator. Buzzingalong I am sorry you got stung and I think you have reacted perfectly. I suspect it is a matter of flight path, as Travelatos said, so it needs raising and emailing helps that happen. A screen or something is needed. Trouble is, I find, the buggers dip in front of it and shoot up at the last minute (efficient braking) so it needs to be well over head height. Hope the stings are OK and if so, you're a natural for beekeeping!

 

[REDWOOD]

You were probably in their flight path and bumped into you, as said defence pheramones kicked in after the first sting. not uncommon. Were you eating a banana at the time?

 

[Buzzingalong]

You were probably in their flight path and bumped into you, as said defence pheramones kicked in after the first sting. not uncommon. Were you eating a banana at the time?

No bananas were involved in the attack (or any food or drink for that matter).

 

[Swarm]

perplexed

The simple options. You were buzzed and the bees reacted. Trying to ward off bees usually leads to being stung.

As to why the bees were there. Think of the simple options - you arrived shortly after the beek had stirred them up with inspections or there is a colony which is aggressive and needs attention?

We all have 'following' bees at some time or other if a beekeeper long enough.

Another possible is shortage of forage, which tends to make them less tolerant of interference of their close 'airspace', especially if their stores have been stolen.

Direction of entrances might be a factor, as might you odour or clothing (particularly dark coloured).

But trying to swat, instead of retiring, is the most common reason for getting stung.

This is the best advice you've been given, quite possible the bee did not get tangled at all. A guard bee buzzing you to see you off will sometimes fly into your hair intentionally, accompanied with loud buzzing to be a nuisance and most often than not will result in a sting. The fact that another was at you immediately, tells me there were a couple buzzing you, the pheremone thing is more likely when you are stung close to the hive and colony.
If you have a browse on the forum, you will notice a fair few reports of bees being overly defensive this year.

 

[BeeJayBee]

One of the reasons some people are stung is that they are diabetic. The bees notice the acetone-type smell, which they don't like, and target it.