I’m still a novice beekeeper. I read all I can, watch videos, listen to podcasts, and talk with more experienced beekeepers because there’s just so much to know about bees. I know I still have a lot to learn and I’m hoping to share my experiences as I learn so as to help others!
I’m not a huge banana fan – I don’t dislike them per se, but I don’t usually reach for them when I want a snack. I suppose that’s fortunate because you should never, ever eat bananas shortly before getting near your hive.
Bees have many ways of communicating with one another; one of the methods is through pheromones. And the honeybee alarm pheromone? Well, it smells like bananas. Overwhelmingly like bananas.
So if you go waltzing in there reeking of their alarm pheromone, they will start attacking.
In a previous blog I mentioned my ‘spicy hive.’ I had the unfortunate experience of spicy hive being extra extra spicy during one inspection this past summer during dearth (when there are limited food sources available because no nectar producing plants are blooming so the bees are extra protective of their reserves).
Since I was wearing full PPE, most of the stings were to my suit, but somehow they found a way to sting through my leather gloves on my wrist. I made it through the full inspection and after putting the hive all back together, I had to walk around the yard for nearly 30 minutes before the rest of the bees gave up on stinging me.
I positively reeked of bananas and my suit was dotted with countless stingers.
I’m not keen to relive that experience if I can help it.
Another quirky bee thing? They don’t like it when you breathe on them. To be fair, I don’t like it when people breathe on me either.
I’ve heard countless times from other beekeepers to be careful not to breathe too heavily near them, or exhale forcefully. The theory is that it is a response to predators like bears digging in the hives to steal their honey.
When I’m really focused I tend to hold my breath, then remember to breathe and exhale voluminously. This does not mix well with hive inspections, holding each frame up in front of my face to thoroughly study it. I made the mistake of exhaling on a couple of frames before the realization hit me. With each exhale, they started buzzing intensely. They were instantly irritated and on guard. Since then, I’ve had to be more intentional with my breathing so I don’t irritate the bees. My goal during an inspection is always to do all the necessary checks while minimizing any stress to the bees.
Have you noticed how basically all beekeeping PPE is either white or very light colors? There’s another bee quirk. Bees seemingly do not like dark clothing. The theory again is that this signals predators such as bears to them, so they’re more inclined to attack. I haven’t tried getting near my hives in dark clothing before, and I don’t really have the intention to do so.
For now I’ll keep my white bee suit, control my breathing, and definitely will NOT eat bananas before an inspection!