Lemon Scent Observation

[ZEEBEE]

Hi all,

I was treating 2 hives yeserday with OA when I noticed a lemon smell from the hive. There were 3-4 bees fanning at the entrance. It was a windy day as well.

The other hive had no lemon scent to it.

What is this indicative of?

THANKS!

[Will]

http://www.beesource.com/pov/wenner/EXC_NG.htm

[Michael Bush]

Now you know what Nasonov pheromone smells like. The bees do that when they've been disrupted and they use it to get reorganized after the disruption. A swarm also uses it to get together and scout bees use it to mark potential homes for a swarm.

Kind of a "Lemon Pledge" smell.

[kookaburra]

Is the Nasonov smell the same as the "alarm" smell?

I noticed when opening the hives, especially without smoke and if I upset them, that they give off what I was assuming to be the alarm odor (with the bees sticking their little butts in the air with their stinger unsheathed), but I've also noticed the same smell when opening the hive and I am assuming that they weren't alarmed(they were clustered, and I didn't open the inner cover).

-rick

[Michael Bush]

No, the alarm smell is like artificial banana flavoring. They DO use the Nasonov pheromone when they have been disrupted but it is a "let's get together here" signal, not a "kill the intruder" signal.

[ZEEBEE]

Thanks for the replies. I guess with my disruption and the fact it was very windy(bees guiding other bees in)they would secrete Nasanov. Fascinating....

[Michael Bush]

Usually the bee hitting you with alarm pheromone is head butting you or stinging you, and trying to mark you, but sometimes a general alarm of a REALLY hot hive will have the hive itself smelling like banana.