ow my dnose

[newportbuzz]

i was just wandering around my garden when i got in the way of a returning forrager who was laden down with orange pollen. needless to say she stung me. but here it gets interesting. she stung me on the columella(the bar inbetween the nostrils) and it smelt really strongly of something . has anyone else ever smelt a sting??? i know that there are pheremones present in the sting but i never thought the smell would be so strong.

 

[Queens59]

Oooooh, that must hurt! Hope you're OK

 

[Tim1606]

My wife had one try to climb up her nose one day and it stung her under the nostril. She had to pinch her nose to stop it going up there while i scrapped the sting out.

i just asked her if she smelt anything and she says no.

 

[BKF Admin]

Was it like a banana smell ?

 

[RoofTops]

Yellow pollen would be ivy and I suspect it carried the characteristic smell of ivy honey and this is what you may have smelt. A controlled experiment is required. Volunteers please send me a PM and I will send them a bee in a small tube - remove bung from tube and hold to nose. Remove when pain is unbearable.

 

[Jimmy]

I got a definite whiff of peardrop esters when they are stinging the veil.

A quick google and wikipedia - isoamyl acetate -
Isoamyl acetate has a strong odor (similar to Juicy Fruit or a pear drop) which is also described as similar to both banana and pear...........Isoamyl acetate is released by a honey bee's sting apparatus where it serves as a pheromone beacon to attract other bees and provoke them to sting.

 

[victor meldrew]

i was just wandering around my garden when i got in the way of a returning forrager who was laden down with orange pollen. needless to say she stung me. but here it gets interesting. she stung me on the columella(the bar inbetween the nostrils) and it smelt really strongly of something . has anyone else ever smelt a sting??? i know that there are pheremones present in the sting but i never thought the smell would be so strong.

The alarm pheromone released when stinging smells of Pear Drops .
The alarm signal from an agitated colony smells of bananas !!
So it is written

John Wilkinson

 

[victor meldrew]

Soz jimmy crossed posted .

John Wilkinson

 

[BKF Admin]

The alarm pheromone released when stinging smells of Pear Drops .
The alarm signal from an agitated colony smells of bananas !!
So it is written

John Wilkinson

Your right John,I realised after Jimmy posted,I was sat here thinking that the pheremone 2-heptanone something or other,makes sense why he was listing isoamyl acetate instead.

In youf computer speak I think you pawned me..

 

[newportbuzz]

ya im fine took an antihistine incase. the tingling upper lip is annoying. it definatly smelt but to be honest i wouldnt describe it as a bannana or pear smell. it was a very medicinal smell. never smelt it before. hope to avoid it again brought tears to my eyes. not just cos of the loss of one of my bees either

 

[SimonB]

Ouch, my little pip on the forehead doesn't seem anything like so bad now.

Admin, I think you woz owned

 

[Queens59]

Most people say ivy pollen smells medicinal, so maybe that is what your nose told you about? Odd, my bees have been taking it in for a couple of weeks and neither me or HWMBO can smell it...we must be weird...then again - where's the surprise in that??

 

[newportbuzz]

Most people say ivy pollen smells medicinal, so maybe that is what your nose told you about? Odd, my bees have been taking it in for a couple of weeks and neither me or HWMBO can smell it...we must be weird...then again - where's the surprise in that??

ill try to compare the smell of the hive this evenin when i pop down to top up the feeders. if its the ivy smell it should be fairly strong in the hive

 

[tonybloke]

A controlled experiment is required. Volunteers please send me a PM and I will send them a bee in a small tube - remove bung from tube and hold to nose. Remove when pain is unbearable.

not many volunteers, eh, RoofTops ?? LOL

 

[newportbuzz]

Most people say ivy pollen smells medicinal, so maybe that is what your nose told you about? Odd, my bees have been taking it in for a couple of weeks and neither me or HWMBO can smell it...we must be weird...then again - where's the surprise in that??

i had a chance to smell the ivy honey at the hives today. And that was definatly the smell i got the last day when my nose was stung. we live and learn. thanks for all the interest and advise.

 

[thurrock bees]

i bet your eyes watered well, mine are just thinking about getting stung there