Foods/drinks to avoid before inspecting?

[Sutty]

I'm wondering if anyone has experience of the smell of particular foods and drinks on the breath upsetting the bees? I've had more veil-bangers than usual recently & wonder if it's a factor (coffee).
I know pear drops is a bad idea as the flavouring mimics the alarm pheromone!!
Anything else people have noticed upsets them?

 

[Ian123]

I think a lot depends on your bees, I’ve never had to consider what I should or shouldn’t eat!

 

[JamezF]

Not food or drink (hopefully), but I swim a fair bit, to the point where you just can't get rid of the faint aroma of chlorine and I have been wondering if they take exception to that.

James

 

[Sutty]

Of course the flip side is whether there is anything you can use to make them less tetchy eg does mint work?

 

[user 20297]

Avoid smelling of honey. Don't inspect after applying lemongrass oil to you bait hive.

 

[JamezF]

Don't inspect after applying lemongrass oil to you bait hive.

Yeah, been there, done that

James

 

[ericbeaumont]

pear drops

That'll be isoamyl acetate (no pear in pear drops) aka isopentyl acetate, also released when a banana is peeled and a by-product of alcohol, a constituent of sweets and perfumes the world over, and the main chemical of the honey bee alarm pheromone.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’ve had a glass or two of wine and my bees have never bothered me. Or maybe it’s just that I just don’t notice.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

steer clear of Chicken or lamb Ceylon curry - it's always a job getting out of your beesuit in a hurry if it makes its presence known.

 

[OldFarm]

Mine took exception to salt and vinegar crisps

 

[Amaranth]

I have found that the style of veil with the round broad brimmed hat and corresponding sort of “saucer” part below the veil directs one’s breath towards the comb: there is sometimes a transient flurry of wings on the comb as I breathe out. Have changed to a fencing style and it doesn’t happen now with normal breathing.

 

[The Poot]

Mine took exception to salt and vinegar crisps

Too crunchy for them?

 

[Moobee]

Fish and bananas apparently.... not together though obvs

 

[Mamahilz]

I'm wondering if anyone has experience of the smell of particular foods and drinks on the breath upsetting the bees? I've had more veil-bangers than usual recently & wonder if it's a factor (coffee).
I know pear drops is a bad idea as the flavouring mimics the alarm pheromone!!
Anything else people have noticed upsets them?

I find some colonies are consistently irritated by breath in general and have been told it’s carbon dioxide. Other colonies aren’t impacted. On those which are I try to breathe gently through my nose and it seems to help

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I find some colonies are consistently irritated by breath in general and have been told it’s carbon dioxide. Other colonies aren’t impacted. On those which are I try to breathe gently through my nose and it seems to help

Maybe learning to not use the mouth but breathe from the other end could help?
It must be possible - I know a few on here who are adept at talking through it

 

[Sutty]

I find some colonies are consistently irritated by breath in general and have been told it’s carbon dioxide. Other colonies aren’t impacted. On those which are I try to breathe gently through my nose and it seems to help

I find some will obligingly move when blown on, others seem upset by it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I find some colonies are consistently irritated by breath in general

I find SWMBO gets irritated when I still breathe as well.

 

[judy12]

The very old books say to drink a pint of beer before inspecting.

 

[SumpNut]

Mine are noticeably more grouchy if I have had a curry the night before inspection

 

[Wingy]

Only once after a bit too much alcohol - weather wasn’t too good raining on and off so had a lazy afternoon with a few beers. Early evening it brightened up so thought would get some inspections done (garden so no driving) a bit clumsy and a few stings settled for just one hive. Needed a drink to chill out after