Is it me?????

[Tricky]

I have two hives that seemed really aggressive, even a small inspection would lead to the bees being very upset with me!!! Then I went another beekeeper to inspect his hives and the same thing happened. The bees went for me and not him. Can anyone explain this.

 

[DarynWebb]

Wash your suit, maybe it has stinging pheromones on it?

 

[Nic Rhodes]

and also don't use leather gloves, use new rubber ones.

Then when you are using rubber ones, wave your old leather gloves near the hive and oserve the reaction.

 

[Finman]

.
Change the queens. You need not stand such houligans.

 

[drstitson]

wash the suit.

 

[fatshark]

Change your aftershave or perfume, or use none.

 

[Tom Bick]

Don’t use fabric softener or even washing powder with Lavender or similar nice smelling things.

 

[madasafish]

Sweat triggers the attack response: wash your arms before you leave home.

(learned from painful experience)

 

[george]

Confirm it is you and not the bees . Get your friend to come round and inspect your bees and see how they react to him .
G

 

[enrico]

Or her!

 

[george]

Apologies . Him or Her .

G

 

[YorkshireBees]

My neighbor next door to my home apiary had problems last year with bees from my hives attacking his head. Although I have since moved all but 1 colony to out apiaries I was sure that it was probably his shampoo / hair products as we never had problems walking in front or nearby the hives and they faced away from his garden!

 

[Dishmop]

The bees went for me and not him. Can anyone explain this.

Isnt there a saying about dont let animals see your fear?

 

[susbees]

What everyone says...they can also sense fear, which is sort of understandable if they sting you hard every time. Get someone else to inspect your bees and then run through the list. Supposedly they don't like some food smells and beer too but not sure on that one.

 

[susbees]

Hey Dishmop. Snap

 

[itma]

... Supposedly they don't like some food smells and beer too but not sure on that one.

The food thing I am aware of is banana. Seriously ripe bananas have some chemistry in common with alarm/attack pheromones.

But suit hygiene, personal hygiene (but avoid products with smells), and even oral hygiene ... they can all matter.

 

[psafloyd]

The food thing I am aware of is banana. Seriously ripe bananas have some chemistry in common with alarm/attack pheromones.

But suit hygiene, personal hygiene (but avoid products with smells), and even oral hygiene ... they can all matter.

I discovered that the ladies are NOT favourably disposed towards onion breath after a lovely sandwich last year.

 

[madasafish]

Bees appear to strongly dislike sweat : either fresh or old.. Or hairy wrists..

I have carefully washed out my bee top, taking care to clean the cuffs properly and left it to hang in the open air .

Having been attacked vigorously on my wrists at our Association apiary on Saturday, I will also carefully wash my wrists and arms before visiting next time and see if it makes any difference.

I suspect hair plus sweat reminds bees of their ancestral enemy: the bear...(and I suspect they smell of sweat)

 

[psafloyd]

Well, hair increases the surface area for one's own pheromones. So if you are hirsute, wash up or shave...

 

[Hivemaker.]

Bees appear to strongly dislike sweat : either fresh or old.. Or hairy wrists..

Never had this problem before,and tend to sweat buckets full in the summer while working the bees,and they take no notice whatsoever. Not had problems with them with any other smells either,stinky feet,beer,aftershave ect. I would go along more with the sensing fear bit, as others have mentioned.