Apiary Etiquette - Rule 5
Avoid any strong or unnatural odors
Click to go to previous step    Rule 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12    Click to go to next step

Click for more detail
Click for more detail

Honeybees are especially sensitive to smell; their sense of smell is critical to the operation and social structure of the colony and to their ability to detect nectar sources.  Since bees have been designed with an excellent sniffer, they will easily pick up strong, foreign odors near the hive.  Especially avoid fruits around the hive -- bananas seem to especially get the guard bees interested and riled up.

Click for more detail
Click for more detail

Also, if you don't keep yourself clean (i.e., bad BO), or you wear cologne, perfume, hair gel, etc. that has a distinctive, strong odor, you will really attract their attention.  To keep them from crawling all over you because they think you are a nectar source, or flying at you and trying to sting because you smell like a raccoon, keep clean and avoid scented substances on your body.


Apiary Etiquette
Frame of Brood and Honey

Inspecting the Frames

Opening and Inspecting the Hive
Periodic Apiary Inspections


Copyright © 2002-2008 All Rights Reserved.